The Highest Bidder
by Starresky
Summary: Ryella A fundraising auction is the first school event of the year and the prizes are dates with each of the boys of East High. Even though the boys are up for grabs, it is Gabriella's heart that will go to the highest bidder!
1. All's Fair In Love And War

A/N: I am a huge Ryan & Gabriella fan. This is my first fic so please be kind and leave some feedback. Thanks!

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 1**

Gabriella twirled the red and white streamers while Taylor taped one end at the edge of the stage.

"This is a bad idea," Taylor muttered as she ripped another piece of tape off the roll.

"What is?" Gabriella asked as she taped her end to the opposite side of the stage.

"This auction!" Taylor exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air.

"I think it's a great idea!" Gabriella responded. "It'll help raise money for the theater and basketball program."

Taylor stared incredulously at her friend. "It's a degrading, sexist, superficial, disgusting tribute to the horrific practices of slavery and indentured servitude, and I just—"

"Hey girls!" a peppy, sugar-coated voice interrupted Taylor's tirade.

Taylor rolled her eyes as Sharpay entered the room, her heels clicking against the stage as she bounced towards the two friends.

"Hi Sharpay," Gabriella greeted with her signature dimpled grin.

Sharpay ignored Gabriella as she brushed past the brunette, eyeing the roll of tape in Taylor's hand. "What is that?" she sneered, a hint of disgust in her voice.

Taylor glared at the blonde. "Masking tape," she growled, speaking slowly to ensure that the blonde could comprehend her response.

"Ew," Sharpay responded, wrinkling her nose. "Why are you using that gross vomit-colored tape?"

Taylor looked over at Gabriella in disbelief. Taylor and Gabriella had worked for three days planning and decorating the auditorium and this whole thing was Sharpay's stupid idea. Gabriella shrugged her shoulders, smiling with amusement at Sharpay's typical behavior.

"Nevermind," Sharpay huffed, opening her Louis Vuitton purse and pulling out her cotton-candy pink phone. "Ryan?" she said, much louder than necessary. "Get over here right this instant before this whole auction is ruined!" She snapped the phone shut with a flourish and Gabriella was certain Sharpay hadn't waited for Ryan to respond. "There, now that that's taken care of, why don't you girls make sure these fliers are put in every locker by lunchtime." It was a command, not a request.

Taylor crossed her arms, refusing to take the stack of pink papers Sharpay had pulled out of her purse. Sharpay gave Taylor the evil eye and turned to Gabriella. Shoving the stack of papers at Gabriella, Sharpay said with a plastered smile, "I hope you saved up this summer, _Gabby_."

Gabriella shook her head, noting the condescending use of her nickname. "Of course. I needed that job to help pay for college next year."

Sharpay snickered, flicking her hand, "No, silly. I mean for the auction. After all, Troy is the most popular boy in school. I'm sure a lot of girls will pay a lot for a date with him. You don't want some girl to get your man, do you?"

"And by 'some girl', you mean YOU?" Taylor hissed, shoving Sharpay by the shoulder.

Sharpay gaped at Taylor in feigned shock. "I have no idea what you mean! I was just warning poor Gabby that she should watch out." Sharpay glanced over at Gabriella with a smirk on her lips. "I mean, you and Troy have already broken up twice in the past year. That can't be good." She patted Gabriella on the shoulder. "I'm only looking out for you, Gabby."

Taylor stepped forward to smack Sharpay but Gabriella pulled her back. Gabriella put her hands on her hips and smiled sincerely at the blonde. "Both times, Troy came back to me and never gave you a second look. So you can keep trying, Sharpay, but it's really starting to make you look desperate. You don't want people to think that, do you?"

Sharpay gasped, her mouth wide open. "Well!" she exclaimed.

Gabriella grinned and patted Sharpay on the shoulder. "It's okay. I'm only looking out for you, Paypay."

Sharpay's eyebrows knitted together as her face twisted in anger and she glared at Gabriella. "Hmph," she shouted. She turned on her heel and stomped right out of the room, her shoes clicking on the floor a lot harder than when she had entered.

Taylor and Gabriella glanced at each other for a moment before they both broke out into a fit of giggles. Taylor put her arm around her friend and commented, "That girl will never learn."

The two girls grabbed their things and walked side-by-side out of the auditorium, laughing and discussing what still needed to be done for the auction that night.

Sharpay stood behind the curtain, her hand tightly gripping her purse. She murmured to herself, "I'll show you, Gabriella. We'll see how giggly you'll be once I win the date with Troy and he finally sees how much better I am for him."

"Hey sis!" Ryan greeted, walking cheerily up to Sharpay. "You rang?"

Sharpay smirked, turning to her brother. "Ryan, all's fair in love and war, wouldn't you agree?"

Ryan stared at his sister, completely bewildered. "Uhh, I guess."

"Good, now go fix the mess that Taylor girl did to the stage," she commanded, gesturing towards the decorations Gabriella and Taylor had put up. "Everything has to be perfect tonight."

Ryan nodded, though he was still confused by his sister's behavior. He shrugged as she walked away, certain that he would never understand the inner workings of Sharpay Evans.

Though he was done being Sharpay's lapdog, he let her keep thinking she could tell him what to do. After what happened in the summer, he felt like it gave her comfort to know at least something in her life was still the same. Ryan turned to examine the work that Taylor and Gabriella had already put into the decorations. He smiled, thinking it looked fine to him. He knew it just needed the Ryan Evans touch and it would be perfect.


	2. Feelings and Doubts

A/N: Thanks for all of you who reviewed and saved this story. I hope you like this chapter!

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 2**

The walls of the auditorium were pounding to the beat of some Gwen Stefani song as the girls of East High filed in. The excited chatter echoed throughout the room. Girls were gossiping about what guys would be up on the auction block and which ones they would bid on.

Sharpay Evans sat in the first row with her three new friends, if you could call them that. Ever since Ryan had abandoned her this last summer, Sharpay had collected a fan club of Sharpettes who followed her like ducklings. Now that she couldn't rely on Ryan to hang onto her every word and command, she had found three freshmen eager to do her dirty work. They carried out her every demand in exchange for popularity and fashion tips. Unfortunately, none of them were quite as financially blessed as Sharpay and had to make do with faux fashion from TJ Maxx.

"You girls made sure everything is set for tonight, right?" the blonde smiled, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Yes, Ms. Sharpay," they answered in unison. Brandy, Buffy and Brittany all grinned eagerly at their idol.

"Troy is so lucky that you are bidding on him," Brandy gushed.

"He is so hot," Buffy added.

"So hot!" Brittany echoed.

Sharpay raised an eyebrow. "Of course he is. Do you think I would be bidding on someone who wasn't as hot as Troy?"

The girls all looked at each other in fear. "Of course not, Ms. Sharpay!" they apologized quickly.

"Gabriella Montez is going to pay for ruining your summer," Buffy stated matter-of-factly.

"That wannabe is so going to pay," Brittany agreed.

Sharpay's mouth twisted into a grin. "Now girls, this isn't about that Gabriella girl. It's about Troy."

"But I thought you said---" Brittany started before Buffy and Brandy elbowed her hard in the stomach. She giggled with embarrassment, swallowing the pain.

"What was that?" Sharpay glared at the girl.

"Oh I just wanted to ask you where you got that gorgeous dress," Brittany quickly recovered.

"It's Chanel. Where'd you get yours?" Sharpay wrinkled her nose as she looked over at Brittany's dress.

Buffy and Brandy rolled their eyes at Brittany, crossing their arms, showing their obvious disgust at their pals' stupidity.

Brittany's face turned white. "Uhh, it was a present," she said softly, wanting the earth beneath her feet to open up and swallow her whole to save her from further humiliation.

Meanwhile, outside Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton were walking up the steps of the school followed by Taylor McKessie and Chad Danforth. Both couples were holding hands and laughing as they recounted a few memories from the past summer.

"Do you remember Mrs. What's-her-face with the dog dressed in ridiculous outfits?" Taylor giggled.

"You mean the woman that fed her Chihuahua scones for breakfast?" Chad chuckled, throwing his arm around Taylor.

"Oh yeah!" Gabriella exclaimed. "Mr. Cuddlesworth!"

Troy smiled in slight bewilderment, realizing that he had no idea what they were talking about.

"She was insane!" Taylor said. "I was ready to strangle her when she complained about Mr. Cuddlesworth being outside at night without his booties and scarf on. This is Albuquerque for goodness sake!"

"Oh and remember when she made her husband get her a doggy version of Ryan's outfit?" Gabriella asked.

"Oh, pookie, isn't that so cute!" Chad squeezed Troy's shoulder, imitating the eccentric country club member. "Mr. Cuddlesworth would look scrumptious in that!"

Gabriella and Taylor laughed hysterically at Chad's antics, neither noticing Troy's uncomfortable expression.

"Hey guys!" two voices called behind them. Kelsi and Jason walked hand-in-hand toward them. "What's up?" Jason asked.

Chad put his arm around his friend and asked him very seriously, "Honeycakes, won't you bring me some sugar for Mr. Cuddlesworth's tea?"

Jason laughed, pushing Chad away. "Oh my god, I was ready to kill that lady!"

Kelsi nodded, "She wanted me to play 'How Much Is That Puppy in the Window?' for that stupid dog!"

"Ahem," a voice interrupted their conversation. "Gentlemen, you're late! The audience is waiting and curtain call waits for no one!"

The students turned to find Ms. Darbus glaring at them. "Sorry, Ms. Darbus," they all muttered.

The boys each said goodbye to their dates and followed Ms. Darbus into the school.

"So, Kelsi, you and Jason, huh?" Taylor said, winking at the younger girl as she walked toward the auditorium.

Kelsi blushed profusely.

"Aww, Taylor, stop teasing her," Gabriella smiled, following Taylor. She took Kelsi by the hand and pulled her into the school. Leaning toward Kelsi, she whispered, "I guess we know who you'll be bidding on, don't we?"

Kelsi giggled, her face turning an even brighter shade of red as she looked down.

As the girls entered the auditorium, their jaws dropped. The simple streamers and balloons had been enhanced with a DJ, strobe lights, glittering posters and a humungous disco ball above the stage.

"This is amazing!" Gabriella gasped, eyes filled with wonder at the extravagant decorations.

Taylor couldn't help but agree. "I guess Sharpay was right. This really did need Ryan's touch."

"Wow . . ." Kelsi whispered, her eyes wide with astonishment. The Evans twins really knew how to throw a party. "Ryan did this?"

"Yeah, after Sharpay complained about my use of masking tape," Taylor explained, rolling her eyes.

"I just wish Sharpay would quit ordering Ryan around though," Gabriella murmured.

"Well, she hasn't been doing it as much since the summer," Kelsi pointed out.

"Still, Ryan's his own person. Not her servant," Gabriella responded.

"Hey, if Ryan is cool with it, who are we to say anything?" Taylor said.

Gabriella frowned, certain that Ryan was not "cool with it."

"Hi girls!" a familiar blonde voice greeted them.

Taylor crossed her arms, barely glancing at Sharpay.

"So glad you could make it," Buffy said, her voice sounding as fake as her "Gucci" purse.

"Yeah, it's so great you're here!" Brittany exclaimed, completely missing the sarcasm in Buffy's statement. She felt a kick from Brandy. Realizing that she wasn't supposed to be cordial to these girls, her enthusiastic grin quickly re-formed into a smirk.

"So who are you going to bid on, Taylor?" Sharpay asked, her voice dripping with sugary sweetness.

"I don't support this demeaning event," Taylor hissed. "I'm just here to hang out with my friends."

"Oh, that's okay, dear," Sharpay said, resting her hand on Taylor's arm. "I'm sure there will be plenty of other girls who would be willing to go out with Troy's best friend."

"His name is Chad," Taylor said through gritted teeth, her hand balled into a fist.

Realizing the danger of the conversation ending in a fistfight, Gabriella quickly pulled her friend aside. "We should probably go get our seats."

"Yeah, you go do that," Brandy snickered. "There are plenty of seats in the back for the latecomers."

"Brandy!" Sharpay giggled. "Gabriella and these girls don't mind sitting in the back. It's not like they are going to be bidding on anyone." The three younger girls tittered with chuckles at Sharpay's statement.

Taylor jumped forward, but Kelsi responded before she could. "Not all of us have to buy people's attention," Kelsi stated firmly.

Sharpay and the Sharpettes all dropped their jaws, shocked at Kelsi's insolence. Sharpay tossed her hair over her shoulder and walked away in a huff. "Whatever!" the three freshmen sneered, tossing their hair and turning on their heel to follow Sharpay back to the front row.

"Woah, Kelsi, high five!" Taylor said, holding out her hand after the group of blondes had left.

Kelsi clapped her hand against Taylor's and smiled. "Someone has to put Sharpay in her place."

"Yeah but who knew you had it in you!" Gabriella smiled proudly, putting her arm around Kelsi's shoulder.

They headed towards the nearest empty seats and sat down. Bobbing her head to the beat of the Rihanna song playing from the speakers, Kelsi turned to Taylor and Gabriella. "You guys really aren't going to be bidding? Aren't you worried about Chad and Troy going out with other girls?"

Taylor shrugged. "I trust Chad and Gabriella trusts Troy. This is just a charity thing."

Gabriella nodded slowly. After what had happened this past summer, she knew Troy and she were meant to be together, but that didn't mean things would be smooth sailing from here on out. In fact she had a bad feeling things would get worse now that they were back in school. It seemed that every time she and Troy broke up, she was losing a little bit more of what tied her to him in the first place. She shoved her feelings and doubts to the pit of her stomach once again and smiled at Kelsi, putting her hand over the other girl's. "This is just for fun, don't worry about us."

Kelsi nodded, though her face showed that she was pretty skeptical.

As the DJ stopped playing and the curtain rose, Gabriella felt her stomach tighten and she squeezed Kelsi's hand a little tighter.


	3. Kind Gestures

A/N: Thank you so much for all your feedback! Please let me know if I should continue this. I am having so much fun writing this.

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 3**

The curtain rose and Ms. Darbus squinted under the sharp brilliance of the glittering disco ball. "Welcome students of the theatre . . . and base, foot, hand, whatever - ball. Welcome to East High's first annual charity auction."

The girls in the audience squealed and screamed as the DJ started the music back up again.

Ms. Darbus flinched, holding her fingers to her ears, deafened by the noise. "Alright, let's get this party started!" she shouted into the microphone.

The girls groaned at Ms. Darbus' attempt to be hip.

"Remember your behavior must still comply with the proper decorum expected in this hallowed shrine of the arts," she proclaimed, gesturing across the stage. "Cell phones turned off, no talking during the performance, no---"

Coach Bolton took the stage and grabbed the microphone from Ms. Darbus. "Thank you, Ms. Darbus."

Ms. Darbus looked at the coach with a stern look in her eyes. "Just remember, half of this goes to the theatre program for the winter musicale."

"Right," Coach Bolton replied. Turning to the audience, he stated in an announcer's voice, "Well, let's have all the varsity basketball players join the stage. First, we have Chad Danforth . . ."

One by one the basketball players stepped on stage to the hoots and hollers of the female student body as Coach Bolton listed all their attributes. Each player strutted across the floor with a flirtatious look on their face to the delight of the girls.

"And last but not least, a player who needs no introduction, my son and MVP, Troy Bolton!" the coach introduced with a huge grin.

The roar of the crowd reached an unprecedented volume as Troy walked up to the stage, a shy smile on his face. His eyes instantly locked on Gabriella and he grinned wider when she winked at him from the back of the auditorium.

"Okay, you all know the rules. They were printed in your program," Coach Bolton stated.

Giddy excitement rippled through the crowd of teenage girls.

"First up for bid is Jason Cross!" the coach announced.

The tall, brown-haired player walked up to the front of the stage. When he spotted Kelsi, he waved.

Kelsi blushed and gave a small wave in return.

"Let the bidding begin at ten dollars!" Coach Bolton shouted.

A sophomore in the front row raised her hand.

"Alright, we have ten dollars. Let me see fifteen!" the coach called out. Spotting another hand he responded, "I see fifteen, now where's twenty?" More hands shot up in the air until finally there was a stall at fifty dollars. "Fifty? Where's fifty-five? Come on, the basketball players need new uniforms. Where's your Wildcat spirit?"

Gabriella turned to Kelsi, wondering why she wasn't bidding. "Kelsi, why don't you bid?"

Kelsi bit her lower lip. "I only have twenty dollars," she said sadly.

Gabriella looked at the one-hundred dollars in her hand. "Here's thirty-five dollars," she said, giving the bills to her friend.

"No, no, I can't!" Kelsi refused.

Gabriella smiled. "It's okay, you can pay me back."

"But I---"

"I won't take 'no' for an answer," Gabriella insisted.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Hesitantly, Kelsi took the money, but her hand shot up in the air.

Coach Bolton spotted her right away and smiled. "Alright! That's what I'm talking about! Fifty-five dollars! Do I see sixty?"

The junior who had been bidding on Jason Cross frowned. She had only brought fifty dollars.

"Going once, going twice . . . sixty dollars!" Coach Bolton yelled, seeing a hand shoot up in the front row.

Brandy's manicured hand was raised, blocking Kelsi's view of Jason. Sharpay smirked, handing a grinning Brandy sixty dollars. "Piano girl is going down," Sharpay sneered to the younger girl.

Kelsi looked at Gabriella, crestfallen. Gabriella shook her head. "Here," she said, handing Kelsi more money.

"But what about you?" Kelsi said, shocked. "Aren't you going to bid on Troy?"

Taylor handed Kelsi some of her money too. "That snake is not going to win," she said firmly.

"Seventy-five dollars!" shouted Kelsi, her hand raised.

"Oh, wow!" Coach Bolton exclaimed. "Seventy-five going once, seventy-five going twice . . . SOLD!"

Gabriella and Taylor squealed, hugging their friend.

Brandy, Buffy and Brittany looked at Sharpay who had her arms crossed, glaring at the stage. Sharpay said through gritted teeth, "They may have won the battle but I'll win the war."

Coach Bolton auctioned off a few more players, raising anywhere from twenty to fifty dollars. Then it was Chad's turn. "Now, one of our star players, Chad Danforth!" introduced the coach.

There was loud cheering in response, much to Taylor McKessie's chagrin.

"You know the drill now. Let's start the bidding at twenty dollars," the coach announced.

"Fifty dollars!" shouted Buffy, raising her hand and hopping up and down. Sharpay turned her head and winked at Taylor, an evil grin on her face.

"That girl is dead," Taylor growled.

"What are you going to do?" Kelsi whispered.

"Taylor doesn't believe in bidding for a date," Gabriella whispered back.

"Sixty dollars!" Taylor yelled, raising her hand.

Gabriella and Kelsi stared at her in shock. No one was more shocked than Chad.

"Darn her!" Sharpay hissed.

"Should I keep bidding?" Buffy asked.

"No, you idiot. I have to save up for Troy," Sharpay snapped.

"Sixty dollars going once, going twice . . . SOLD!" Coach Bolton smiled.

"I can't believe you bid," Gabriella said to a grinning Taylor.

"Well, I had to save Chad from a night with Bunny or Betsy, whatever her name is," Taylor said matter-of-factly.

Gabriella and Kelsi smiled at each other, knowing that it was much more than that.

Meanwhile, up in the front of the auditorium, Sharpay was gripping the wad of money in her hand. "They think they've won, but those peppy little brats haven't seen anything yet," Sharpay whispered to herself.

"Hey Paypay!" a male voice called out to the blonde, taking a seat next to her.

Sharpay's eyes grew wide, remembering a certain brunette using that nickname of hers earlier. "YOU!" she shouted, turning to her brother.

Ryan gawked at her, bewildered by her strange behavior. "What?"

"You little, ungrateful brat!" she shouted. "You told your little cheerleader, didn't you?"

Ryan looked at Buffy, Brittany and Brandy, but they seemed as confused as he was. "I tell Gabriella a lot of things," he replied.

Sharpay grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "INCLUDING that horrible nickname you and Mother insist on using!" she yelled.

Ryan grinned, "Oh that? I might have used it in front of Gabriella once or twice."

Sharpay's cheeks turned bright red. "Look, Ryan. I may have forgiven you for that brief moment of extreme disloyalty this past summer, but you are hanging by a thread, Mister!" she said, poking her finger at his chest.

Ryan's eyebrows furrowed. He shrugged. "Sorry, Sharpay. It won't happen again."

"That's better," Sharpay said, calming down. "Now what are you doing here?"

Ryan frowned. "I'm here to hang out with you."

"Whatever," she said, settling down in her seat. "Just sit there and be quiet. Troy's coming up next."

Ryan sighed, shaking his head. When would she learn? When would HE learn?

"And now, for the moment I am sure you are all waiting for . . ." Coach Bolton said into the microphone. " . . . TROY BOLTON!"

All the girls in the auditorium squealed simultaneously as Troy stepped forward into the spotlight.

Coach Bolton began, "Now let's start the bidding at, oh ---" A dozen hands shot up in the air. "Okay, let's start at fifty dollars."

Gabriella raised her hand, but before Coach Bolton could see it, Sharpay Evans stood up. "I would like to bid one hundred dollars," she announced.

"Wow," Coach Bolton responded. He looked over at his son who looked like a deer in headlights.

Troy shook his head at his dad and turned to glance at Gabriella. She looked back at him with her jaw dropped. She held up her hands in defeat, trying to let him know that she didn't have enough to outbid Sharpay. His eyes pleaded to her to rescue him from a date with the borderline psychotic stalker.

"Okay, anyone got a bid higher than one hundred dollars?" Coach Bolton asked, still slightly surprised.

Gabriella looked helplessly at her friends. Taylor and Kelsi both grabbed their wallets to see if they had enough to give to Gabriella. Anything to save Troy from a night with the Ice Queen.

Ryan pulled his sister down to her seat. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Bidding on Troy. Duh!" she replied, a satisfied smirk on her face.

"He's with Gabriella," Ryan said tersely. "You know that."

"So?" she said, clearly annoyed with him.

Ryan's eyes narrowed. "What you're doing is not FAIR, Sharpay. You know Gabriella can't afford to outbid you."

"All's fair in love and war, remember?" she taunted.

"Is this why you suggested this auction?" Ryan asked, aghast at his sister's selfish behavior.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Ryan, stop asking me silly questions," she said, brushing him off.

Ryan glared at his twin. He turned back to glance at Gabriella and saw the panicked look on her face. She didn't deserve this. He jumped up. "One hundred and twenty dollars!" he shouted.

"Mr. Evans!" Ms. Darbus scolded, gesturing him to sit down.

The girls in the audience all snickered, whispering to each other. The basketball players all stared wide-eyed at Troy who was blushing bright red with embarrassment.

"Uhh, kid, you can't bid," Coach Bolton said, mortified. "The rules in the program clearly state that this auction is for girls only and---"

"Oh, I'm not bidding for ME," Ryan said quickly, realizing how it looked to everyone else. "I'm bidding on behalf of Gabriella Montez."

Gabriella looked at Ryan, shocked at his kind gesture. "What is he doing?" she asked Taylor and Kelsi.

"Saving Troy from his sister," Taylor said, although a little bewildered by Ryan's behavior.

"What are you DOING, RYAN?!" Sharpay shrieked, pulling at him to sit down.

"Saving you from yourself, Sharpay," Ryan said, standing confidently.

Sharpay glared and jumped up. "I bid one hundred and FIFTY DOLLARS!" she shouted.

Troy cringed. He looked over at Ryan, now wanting more than anything for Ryan to bid again.

"One hundred and sixty!" Ryan countered, glaring at his sister.

"One hundred and seventy-five!" Sharpay responded, her eyes forming angry narrow slits.

"Two hundred dollars!" Ryan said through gritted teeth.

"Two hundred and FIFTY!" Sharpay replied immediately.

"What about that Marc Jacobs stam bag you've been eyeing, Sharpay?" Ryan hissed at her, hoping to dissuade her.

"I can get that later, Ryan," she hissed back.

Ryan's hand twisted into a fist. He was at a loss. He knew that eventually Sharpay would outbid him because her weekly allowance was much bigger than his. "Three hundred dollars," he said.

"FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS!" Sharpay shouted. Glancing at Ryan she knew she had won.

"You don't want to do this, Sharpay," he warned.

"No, Ryan. You shouldn't have tried to outbid me," she sneered.

"Uh, okay, any more bids?" Coach Bolton asked, incredulous at the amount Sharpay was willing to pay.

Troy looked around nervously, glancing at his dad, then Ryan and then Gabriella.

"Going once . . ."

"I hope it's worth it," Ryan said, furious with his sister.

"You bet it is," Sharpay grinned.

"Going twice . . ."

"Oh, no, Gabriella! I don't think Ryan's going to outbid Sharpay," Kelsi said to her friend.

Gabriella was frozen. She wasn't worried about Sharpay winning. She was in shock because she didn't know why Ryan was willing to pay so much money. Was it to protect Troy like Taylor had suggested? It couldn't be. Troy and Ryan barely knew each other . . .

". . . SOLD!" shouted Coach Bolton.

The whole audience was dead silent.

Sharpay smiled triumphantly and gave a short curtsy to the crowd to which several girls rolled their eyes.

Troy stuffed his hands in his pockets, in a daze. He was going to have to go out on a date with Sharpay. "Oh God . . ." he murmured.

Ms. Darbus went up to Coach Bolton and took the microphone. "Thank you all for coming . . ."

Brandy, Buffy and Brittany all huddled around Sharpay congratulating her. The blonde snickered as she caught a glimpse of Gabriella who looked crushed. Then she turned to her brother who was still glaring at her.

Sharpay couldn't believe he had tried to go up against his own sister. Then an idea came to her . . .

Sharpay eyed Ms. Darbus who was starting to get into one of her long speeches. A wicked grin on her face, she called out, "Ms. Darbus! Ms. Darbus!"

Ms. Darbus stopped mid-sentence and put her hand over her eyes to block the glare of the spotlight, trying to figure out who was calling her name. "Oh! Ms. Evans. What is it?" she asked once she spotted the girl.

Sharpay walked up to the stage and whispered into the drama teacher's ear. Ms. Darbus nodded several times and a smile crossed her face. Sharpay finished and walked off the stage.

Ryan walked up to her and grabbed her arm. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," Sharpay said, smiling at him with a glint in her eye. Pulling her arm away, she went off to re-join the three freshmen.

Ms. Darbus walked up to the microphone once again and called out to the girls who were starting to get up to leave. "Girls, girls, please wait. Since this event was for BOTH the drama department and the basketball team, it only makes sense that we have participants from both groups. Now up for bid is a shining star in our very own Drama Club!"

A sudden hush came over the crowd as the spotlight moved to none other than Ryan Evans. Then a roar of laughter ripped through the auditorium.

"Come on up, Mr. Evans!" Ms. Darbus called to him.

Ryan wanted nothing more than to die, right then and there.


	4. Ryan! Ryan! Ryan!

A/N: I am SO happy you guys are still reading this and leaving reviews! I am sure you all know what is going to happen in this chapter :)

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 4**

"Maybe if he does a jazz square someone might take pity on him," Sharpay giggled, watching her brother climb the steps to the stage like a zombie.

The laughter in the audience was starting to subside, but whispers continued to flow through the crowd.

"I didn't know Ryan was going to be in the auction," Kelsi commented.

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "I don't think he knew either," she suspected.

Gabriella looked sorrowfully at her friend, upset that he was paying for trying to do the right thing. "Sharpay is so cruel," she said to her two friends.

"Come on, Mr. Evans, move those feet," Ms. Darbus said, a thin smile on her lips. "Now, where should we start the bidding? Twenty dollars? Who will bid twenty dollars for a chance for a night on the town with the co-president of the Drama Club?"

Ryan stuffed his hands in his pockets, his signature smile plastered to his face. He would not show his embarrassment, he told himself. He would not let Sharpay win.

The conversation and giggles continued as the audience stared at Ryan. One girl in front of Gabriella whispered to her friend, "Too bad for Ryan only girls bid in this auction."

Gabriella fumed at the insinuation.

The friend giggled in response, "That drama freak doesn't hang out with any girls but his sister."

Staring daggers at the two gossipy girls, Gabriella knew she had to do something about this.

Ms. Darbus looked around quizzically, bewildered that no one was raising their hand. "We'll start the bidding now," she said. No hands raised in response.

Troy and Chad looked at each other, feeling sorry for Ryan.

Gabriella felt her stomach twist. Turning to her friends, she knew what she had to do. "How much money do you guys have?" she asked.

Taylor dug into her pockets and pulled out a few bills. "I have thirty dollars left."

Kelsi handed Gabriella what she could spare. "Here's the twenty I didn't use yet."

Gabriella gathered the money and counted one-hundred dollars total. She whispered to her friends her plan.

"Now, come on, girls. Don't be shy," Ms. Darbus continued. "Who wouldn't want to be serenaded by Mr. Evans?"

Ryan blushed, the spotlight on him feeling hotter than ever. He had never had stage fright before, but this was utterly humiliating. He spotted his sister who was grinning wickedly at him, reveling in his suffering.

Seeing no hands, Ms. Darbus grew frustrated. "Well, I never! This fine boy has starred in several productions, singing his booty off and you girls would be LUCKY to---" Ms. Darbus eyes narrowed, thinking she saw a hand go up in the distance. Spotting it, she exclaimed, "Finally! Twenty dollars in the back!"

Every girl in the audience collectively gasped and snapped their heads back to see who would bid on Ryan Evans.

"Ms. Nielsen, I see," Ms. Darbus announced.

The girls in the audience snickered. Sharpay laughed, whispering to the three freshmen, "Only Piano Girl would be dumb enough to bid on Ryan."

"I bid TWENTY-FIVE!" a voice shouted in the back.

Sharpay's head snapped back like a spring. "Who said that?" she hissed.

"Ahh, Ms. McKessie," Ms. Darbus smiled. "Very good."

Gabriella stood up. "I bid THIRTY dollars."

"That's more like it," Ms. Darbus responded, grinning widely.

Ryan's face was still red, but it was for a different reason. He knew what they were doing, and he loved them for it. They were being true friends.

"What do they think they're doing?" Sharpay growled at the three freshmen.

"I don't know, Ms. Sharpay," the three girls responded in unison.

"Of course you idiots don't," she snapped.

On stage, Chad started to clap his hands, looking to the other players to join in. They started to chant Ryan's name, cheering him on. "Ryan! Ryan! Ryan!"

Ryan turned towards the commotion, amazed at their display of kindness.

"We have thirty dollars!" Ms. Darbus said, beaming. "Do I hear—"

Kelsi stood up to bid again but she was interrupted. "I bid THIRTY-FIVE!" a girl in the middle of the audience shouted.

Gabriella's, Kelsi's and Taylor's jaws dropped. Ryan stared wide-eyed, taken aback by the fact that someone he didn't know was bidding on him.

"FORTY-FIVE!" another girl shouted across the auditorium. She was heard whispering to her friend, "If Chad and Troy's girlfriends want him, he can't be that bad."

Sharpay was frozen in shock. She knew Gabriella and her buddies were bidding on Ryan out of pity, but what were these other girls doing? Sharpay's hand flew to her chest. "I can't breathe!" she said, fanning herself as realization of her plan backfiring came over her. "I can't breathe!" she gasped, panicking.

Brandy, Buffy and Brittany quickly brought out their programs and fanned the blonde girl.

Meanwhile, Ryan stood on stage, completely frozen himself. He didn't know what to do, finding it hard to believe that this was happening to him. His eyes searched the audience for some semblance of an explanation and they connected with Gabriella's.

Gabriella smiled up at Ryan, her eyes twinkling. Ryan couldn't help but smile back, overwhelmed by the turn of events.

Another hand shot up in the air, continuing the bidding frenzy. "FIFTY!!!"

"SIXTY!"

"I bid SEVENTY-FIVE dollars!"

"My goodness," Ms. Darbus said, happy with the feverish bidding. She smiled to herself knowing that Ryan would tie for second highest bid of the night. "Seventy-five going once, seventy-five going twice . . ."

"ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS."

Everyone suddenly grew silent, turning to see who had bid the hefty sum. All were surprised to find Gabriella Montez standing in the back of the room with her hand raised, a brilliant smile on her face.

Kelsi and Taylor looked at each other in confusion, wondering why Gabriella was still bidding.

"Oh my!" Ms. Darbus said. "I never thought, oh goodness, okay . . . one hundred dollars going once, one hundred dollars going twice . . ."

Sharpay's fists tightened around the arms of her chair. This could not be happening.

". . . SOLD to Ms. Montez, the lead of our spring musicale last year!" Ms. Darbus said, clapping with glee.

Sharpay jumped out of her seat and screeched, "Ahhhh!!!" However her shriek was muffled by the sound of the cheers in the audience.

Coach Bolton stepped forward and took the microphone from the drama club teacher. "Well, wow, that was almost as exciting as our last championship game. How about a big hand for Ryan Evans!"

The crowd all stood up and cheered for Ryan, chanting his name. "Ryan! Ryan! Ryan!"

The basketball players surrounded Ryan on the stage and hoisted him on their shoulders, marching to the beat of the chanting girls. All were excited for Ryan except for Troy Bolton. Standing angrily to the side, he felt humiliated that his girlfriend had bid on another guy; even worse, that guy was Ryan Evans.


	5. PolkaDotted Fedora Hat

A/N: I am overwhelmed with all the great feedback. Thanks so much everyone! Reading the reviews definitely make my day!

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 5**

The East High girls started to gather outside the auditorium to pay for their winning bids. Gabriella, Taylor and Kelsi all got in line together.

"Wow, Gabriella. You know you didn't have to do that, right?" Taylor said to the brunette.

Gabriella nodded, her dimpled smile glowing on her face. "Yeah, but nice guys deserve to finish first every once in awhile."

"You mean second, don't you? I still got the highest bid," Troy pointed out, throwing his arm over his girlfriend's shoulder.

Gabriella's smile faltered, "Oh, hey Troy." She glanced up at him curiously, remembering the last time his voice sounded like that. It was right before they broke up.

"There's my girl!" Chad called out, running up to Taylor. "I thought you weren't bidding?" he winked.

Taylor punched him in the arm. "Whatever."

"It's okay," Chad replied sympathetically. Gesturing to himself, he added, "Who can resist this?"

The rest of the group laughed, but Taylor crossed her arms. "You should be on your hands and knees thanking me for saving you from one of Sharpay's Mini-Me's."

Chad grinned, giving her a peck on the cheek. "Thanks, honey."

Taylor pushed him off but couldn't help the grin forming at the corner of her mouth.

Jason joined the group, reaching out shyly for Kelsi's hand. Kelsi linked her fingers with his and smiled. He leaned over and said softly, "You didn't have to bid for a date with me."

Kelsi grinned widely, pushing her glasses up with her free hand and squeezing his hand tighter with her other.

"So where's Ryan?" Troy asked.

Chad smiled. "He was ambushed by a crowd of freshmen girls as we were getting off the stage."

"He looked a little overwhelmed," Jason explained. "Who would have thought the night would end up with Ryan Evans as the most popular guy in the room?"

"It's a good thing Gabriella came up with her plan," Kelsi noted, "or Ryan could have been really humiliated."

The twinkle in Gabriella's eyes flickered a little when she felt Troy's grip on her shoulder tighten.

"Yeah she really saved him," Troy said, a forced grin on his face.

"That was really great you girls bid on him," Chad commented, oblivious to Troy's expression. "Although, should I be jealous?" he said, looking to Taylor.

"Maybe," Taylor teased.

"It was great you guys cheered him on," Kelsi replied.

"No biggie. Evans is a cool guy," Chad answered.

Jason nodded. "He is. It was really low of Sharpay to do that to him."

"She's a jerk," Taylor agreed.

"Speaking of Sharpay, have you guys seen Zeke?" Kelsi asked.

Chad shook his head. "I think he's still moping over the fact that Sharpay didn't bid on him."

"Hey, he can take her," Troy said, holding his hands up.

The group of students laughed, knowing that Sharpay was everyone's last idea of a good date.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop Sharpay from winning that bid," Gabriella whispered to Troy.

Troy shrugged. "It's okay." But the way his face looked, Gabriella knew it wasn't.

"TROY!!!" a voice squealed. Speak of the devil. A blur of pink came rushing at the basketball player.

"Oof," he groaned when two pink arms wrapped around him tightly.

"Uhh, step off, Sharpay," Taylor said, pushing the girl off of Troy.

"Ahem, excuse me," Sharpay said tightly. "I have to talk to Troy about our date." She hooked his arm between hers.

Troy sighed. "Can we talk tomorrow, Sharpay? Maybe during first period?"

Sharpay giggled. "No, silly. We have to make reservations for Chez Paris immediately if we want to get in by Saturday."

"Saturday as in day after TOMORROW Saturday?" Gabriella asked.

"Desperate much?" Taylor added.

Sharpay kept her stiff smile on her lips. "Of course not! NEXT Saturday. This isn't Chili's, you know."

Troy sighed, wanting this date with Sharpay to be over with. He was sure the longer they waited, the more time Sharpay would want to spend with him talking about it.

Sharpay tossed her blonde tresses over her shoulder and smiled mischievously at Taylor and Kelsi. "Although I am sure Chad and Jason would be fine with that, too."

Taylor had to tighten her grip on Chad's hand to keep from punching that smirk off Sharpay's face.

Sharpay turned to Gabriella, sticking out her lower lip. "Awww, but I don't think Ryan likes places that smell like barbecue sauce, Gabby."

Gabriella glared at her. "You know what, Sharpay? What you did in there was really mean. Ryan has been nothing but loyal to you, obeying your every command, carrying out your every wish, supporting you in every play . . . and how do you repay him? By trying to humiliate him?!" she shouted.

The rest of the gang stepped back, surprised by Gabriella's outburst.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Loyal? Ryan hasn't listened to me at all since school started. Ever since you got your claws into him," she sneered. "Well you can have him!"

Troy's jaw twitched at this new piece of information.

Sharpay's angry eyes quickly relaxed and twinkled as she turned to Troy with a smile. "Although why you would pick Ryan over Troy is BEYOND me," she said adoringly to the boy on her arm.

Gabriella's small hands balled into fists. She couldn't take anymore of this blonde python. "That's not what happened and you know it!" Gabriella said, shoving the blonde girl.

Sharpay tripped a little as she tried to catch her balance. "Hmph! Don't get all angry, science geek. It's the truth and YOU. KNOW. IT," she said, punctuating each word by poking Gabriella in the chest.

"You get your nasty hands off of her," Taylor said, stepping in between Gabriella and Sharpay.

"Sharpay, I think it's time that you leave," Chad said, his patience wearing thin.

"Fine! Come on Troy," she said, pulling Troy along with her.

"Sharpay, I---"

"Let's go, Troy!"

Troy looked helplessly back at his friends as he was dragged away by the blonde girl.

"Can't she take a hint?" Chad asked, irritated.

"Apparently even a ten-ton boulder wouldn't make a dent in that blonde brain of hers," Taylor responded.

The group laughed simultaneously at that comment, knowing just how true it was.

"Oh, hey guys!" a voice interrupted. "What's so funny?"

All heads turned to find Ryan standing there, a slightly bewildered grin on his face.

"Ryan! My man!" Chad said, giving Ryan a hug.

Jason clapped Ryan on the shoulder. "Good job in there, man."

Ryan smiled. "Thanks, but it was because of all of you. I really appreciate what you did," he said, bowing his head in gratitude. Ryan turned to Gabriella. Gesturing towards her, he added, "I especially want to thank you, Gabriella. I can't believe you put in that high of a bid for me. I'll pay you back."

As he reached into his pocket to grab his wallet, she grabbed his hand to stop him. "No, Ryan. You don't have to do that," Gabriella insisted.

Ryan's ears started to blush a lovely shade of pink. It was annoying how that seemed to happen every time she touched him. "No, I know you worked really hard this summer to save money for college. I can't let you pay for saving me up there."

"Ryan, you're my friend," Gabriella said, squeezing his hand. "You were willing to bid against your sister to save Troy, so I owe you for that."

Ryan couldn't help but melt seeing the sincerity in her chocolate brown eyes. "But Sharpay still won the bid," he said solemnly.

"It's the thought that counts," Kelsi stated matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, Ryan. You've really shown us that you're a great friend to have," Taylor added.

"Definitely, buddy," Chad nodded.

Ryan grinned shyly, still trying to get used to the idea of having real friends. Especially a friend like Gabriella.

The girls finally reached the front of the line and paid for their winning bids. Ryan tried a few more times to pay for Gabriella's bid but she stubbornly refused, holding strong to her principles.

After the girls finished, Jason said, "I guess it's time to call it a night." He turned to Kelsi, "Ready to go?"

She nodded and took his hand. They both waved to the rest of the group and walked toward the parking lot.

Taylor turned to Gabriella and grabbed her hands, saying warmly, "I'll see you tomorrow to help clean up, okay?"

Gabriella nodded, smiling brightly at her friend. "Thanks for your help. It was really fun."

"It actually was . . . surprisingly," Taylor replied. Taylor let go of Gabriella's hands and turned to leave. Walking toward the parking lot, she smirked knowing Chad was following her. She turned and asked nonchalantly, "Oh. Did you want a ride home?"

Chad smirked at the mischievous smile on her face. "Well that would be nice since you insisted on being the one to drive us here."

"I guess there's room in my car," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Chad laughed, making her smile. He threw his arm over her shoulder and they both walked to her car.

Ryan and Gabriella stood there alone together, both waiting for their rides. An uncomfortable silence filled the space between them. Ryan stuffed his hands in his pockets and pretended to find the East High theatre sign really interesting. Meanwhile, Gabriella gazed up at the stars, her arms wrapped around her midsection.

Finally, after a few moments, Ryan cleared his throat, attempting to relieve the tension, "You were wrong, you know."

Gabriella turned to face him, a bit startled. "Wrong about what?"

"I didn't bid on Troy to save him from my sister," he replied.

Gabriella felt tiny butterflies in her stomach. "You didn't?" she asked softly.

Ryan felt his head instinctively lowering, his eyes threatening to get lost in hers. Turning away quickly, he explained, "No, I bid to save her from herself."

"Oh," Gabriella murmured, a tinge of disappointment in expression. She shook her head, bewildered by her reaction to this information.

"Do you think you'll try out for the winter musical?" Ryan asked casually, glancing back at her.

Gabriella bit her lower lip. "Hmm, I'm not sure."

Ryan's tightened his fists, feeling a sudden shock of electricity at the sight of her expression. His eyes were instantly drawn to her lips but he forced himself to look away, even taking a few steps away from her. "I was thinking about doing it, but I doubt Sharpay would audition with me after what happened at the talent show."

"You could always try out as a soloist," Gabriella suggested.

Ryan shook his head, hands stuffed deeper in his pockets. Kicking a rock, he smiled, "I've always been Sharpay's partner. I wouldn't know how to try out by myself."

Gabriella smiled shyly, her arms falling to her sides. "I know what you mean. I can't imagine being up on stage without Troy."

"But when you're up there, you shine," he argued, turning to look her straight in the eyes to prove that he meant it. "Even though you're with Troy, you're still a star, a real leading lady."

Gabriella blushed at his comments. Stealing a glance at him, she could see he was sincere.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "When I'm on stage with Sharpay, even if I get the lead, I'm still just a supporting actor."

"You took the lead this summer," she pointed out.

"That was fun, but that was different. I was teaching. That was backstage, not on stage. I'm not leading man material, I guess," he chuckled softly to himself.

"Oh, come on! Remember what you kept telling Chad this summer when he said he didn't dance?" Gabriella asked, a scolding tone in her voice.

Ryan smiled, remembering how relentless he had been with Chad. "You can do it," he replied.

"Exactly!" she replied. "Just have confidence." She eyed his outfit, "You certainly have the style."

He looked down at his clothes. Red pants with matching red shirt and a black tuxedo jacket. Also, of course, a red polka-dotted matching fedora. He bowed, and pulled off his hat, tipping it in her direction. "I aim to please."

She giggled grabbing the hat from him. "How does this look?" she smiled, putting the hat atop her curly brown hair. She posed with her hand holding the tip of the hat and her other hand on her hip.

He laughed, a deep-throated laugh.

"How about this?" she said, making a very model-like pretentious expression on her face. "Dahling, I simply adore this hat," she drawled. She winked at him, trying hard to hold the facial expression, but failing miserably and eventually breaking out into giggles.

"Very sexy," he joked, grabbing the hat from her head and placing it back on his own.

"Ahem," a rough voice interrupted, silencing their laughter.

Both Gabriella and Ryan turned to find Troy looking at the both of them.

"Hey Troy," Ryan smiled. "It's good to see you again," he said, holding out his hand.

Troy looked at it but didn't offer his own hand in return.

"Did you finish talking to Sharpay?" Gabriella inquired. She looked at Troy skeptically, wondering why he seemed angry.

Ryan slowly withdrew his hand. "Is my sister ready to go?" Ryan asked, a polite smile still on his face.

"She said that you'd better get over there or you're going to have to take the bus," Troy muttered.

"Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know," Ryan said sincerely. He turned to Gabriella and gave a small wave. "Thanks again. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

Gabriella gave a small smile and nodded as Ryan walked away. When Ryan got into the limo with Sharpay, Gabriella finally turned to Troy, dreading what was to come.

"Ready to go?" Troy asked coldly.

She nodded slowly. "Look, Troy. It's not what you think---"

"It's fine," he cut her off. "Let's just go."

Folding her arms, she agreed and followed him to the car.


	6. Pinky Swear

A/N: Sorry this one took so long! This one is only Ryan/Gabriella, a present for those of you who have been encouraging me. Please enjoy and let me know what you think.

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 6**

Ryan walked into the auditorium through the back door, whistling "Bop to the Top" with a smile on his face. For some reason, this morning seemed a lot better than all the mornings that had come before it. He had woken up with this permanent grin on his face causing Sharpay to glare at him at the breakfast table with irritation when he wouldn't stop looking so darn happy.

He proceeded towards the stage, but stopped whistling when he heard the loud sound of ripping paper. The noise was followed by the sound of paper being torn into smaller pieces very rapidly. He turned the corner and peeked to find his brunette friend furiously ripping one of the posters from the auction.

"Stupid auction," he heard Gabriella muttering as she ripped away. He frowned, worried by her strange behavior.

"Stupid, stubborn, insecure, chauvinistic . . ."

As the insults continued, Ryan had a feeling she wasn't talking about the auction anymore.

"Ahem," Ryan sounded, clearing his throat.

Gabriella stopped mid-rip and froze in place. Turning slowly, her face was bright red, embarrassed for being caught.

"What did that poster ever do to you?" Ryan teased, wriggling his eyebrows.

Gabriella dropped the poster and blushed profusely. "I-I didn't think anyone else was here."

"Do you always mutilate unsuspecting pieces of posterboard when no one's looking?" Ryan joked.

Gabriella couldn't help but giggle. "Sorry," she replied. "I was just taking out a little frustration."

"Troy?" Ryan asked cautiously.

Gabriella looked away, letting him know that he guessed correctly.

"Let me help you clean up," Ryan said, changing the subject because he could see she was uncomfortable. As he picked up the torn pieces of posterboard, he asked, "Where's Taylor?"

"She's at an emergency Decathlon meeting," Gabriella explained, pulling off some streamers from the stage. "You did a really good job decorating for the auction, by the way. I meant to tell you yesterday . . ."

Ryan grinned. "Thanks. It wasn't a big deal. I had fun."

"Stop being so modest. It looked amazing," Gabriella insisted.

"It was for a good cause." Ryan knelt down to peel off some deflated balloons from the edge of the stage.

"Speaking of the auction, when do you want to go on our date?" Gabriella questioned nonchalantly, taking Ryan by surprise.

"You actually _want_ to go on the date?" Ryan asked, looking at her incredulously.

"Of course," Gabriella stated flatly, staring at him like he was crazy. "Are you saying I paid one hundred of my hard-earned dollars this summer and I don't even get a date out of it?" The small smile at the corner of her mouth indicated that she was teasing him.

Ryan threw the balloons in the trash and looked shyly at her. "I didn't think you'd want to go on a date with me. Bidding on me was generous enough."

"Well what girl wouldn't want to go on a date with the guy who has sung his booty off in SEVERAL productions?" Gabriella said, imitating Ms. Darbus.

Ryan laughed really hard. Her gestures were dead on. "Okay then. I mean, if it's okay with Troy, I could take you on a date."

"You and I are just friends," Gabriella stated, a little irritation in her voice. "There's no reason Troy should be bothered by it."

Ryan nodded hesitantly. He knew Troy would be plenty bothered by it. Pulling a poster off the wall he asked, "When do you want to go? I am free any day but next Saturday."

"Isn't that the day that Sharpay is taking Troy on her date?" Gabriella asked, wondering why he would be busy on that day.

Ryan nodded. "It's also her birthday," he explained.

"Oh! Is that why---"

"Yeah," Ryan answered before she could finish. "My parents are taking us all out to Sharpay's favorite restaurant." He looked over carefully at Gabriella from the stage. "Does it bother you that she keeps going after Troy?"

"No," Gabriella shrugged. Turning to look up at Ryan, she said seriously, "I guess that's what makes me so frustrated with Troy. Sharpay is always hanging around him and I never say anything when it's so obvious what she wants from him. You and I just hang out and he freaks."

Ryan rubbed the back of his neck, feeling bad that she was going through this because of him.

Gabriella sighed. "I keep telling him we're just friends. It's not like you've ever tried anything," she pointed out. "I just don't know why our friendship bugs him so much. I mean, I'm friends with Chad too but he never says anything about Chad."

Ryan gazed over at her and saw the sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry I'm causing problems for you and Troy," he apologized.

"Don't be," Gabriella said quickly. "It's not your fault Troy's acting so weird."

Ryan frowned. If she knew what he was thinking right that moment, she would know that Troy wasn't completely off-base.

"Anyway, I'm going to stop unloading on you about Troy," Gabriella said, shaking off the negative emotions swimming around in her head. "I am free pretty much every day next week."

Placing another stack of posters into the recycling bin, Ryan thought carefully of some place he could take her that would ensure that these crazy feelings he was having lately wouldn't threaten to ruin his friendship with Gabriella. Then an idea came to him. "There's this thing I was going to go to on Friday," he mentioned, keeping his tone casual. "If you want to join me, we could have our date there."

Gabriella smiled, excitement sparkling in her eyes. "What is it?"

"If I told you, it would ruin the surprise," Ryan winked at her. "I promise it'll be fun." He reached out his hand to pull her up to the stage.

Taking Ryan's hand, Gabriella smiled, "Okay, I trust you." After he pulled her up, she put the last of the streamers into the bin and took a look around. "I think we're done."

Glancing around, he nodded. "Now Ms. Darbus can start the auditions for the winter musical."

"Do you know which musical it's going to be?" Gabriella asked.

"I heard some of the Drama Club members request 'Wicked', but you never know with Ms. Darbus," Ryan informed her. "Have you decided whether you're going to audition?"

Pushing one of the trash bins to the side, Gabriella sighed. "I don't know. Troy doesn't seem to want to sing anymore."

"You could always try out as a soloist," Ryan said, reminding her of the advice she had given him just the night before.

"Oh really? I didn't know that," Gabriella teased, punching him playfully in the arm.

"Ouch," Ryan winced.

"That didn't hurt," Gabriella stated. A tinge of worry in her voice betrayed her.

"Okay, maybe just my ego," Ryan replied, smiling. "Do you still like singing, though?"

Gabriella thought for a moment. "I didn't think I would, but I still do. I get really big butterflies even standing here looking out at those empty chairs, but something about singing just makes me feel good."

Ryan tilted his head, considering her words. "I like the acting and the dancing. That is what draws me to the stage. The singing is a little scary for me."

"Really?" Gabriella asked, surprised. "You have a great voice."

Ryan narrowed his eyes. "I'm not that good," he insisted. "I don't think you've actually heard me sing anything but backup for Sharpay."

Gabriella shook her head, smiling. She would have to work on that confidence problem of his. "The dancing and the acting parts are what scare me," she confessed. "I mean, I am okay with the singing, but acting is really hard for me. If it wasn't for Troy, I don't think I could have played Minnie. It's hard to pretend to be someone you're not . . . and don't get me started with the dancing . . ." she giggled.

"I think you'll be fine. You were amazing last spring," Ryan assured her.

"Twinkle Towne wasn't exactly Shakespeare," Gabriella said, biting on her lower lip. "A musical like Wicked would be really hard."

"It'd be a learning experience for me too," Ryan admitted. "Sharpay and I have done mostly show tunes. Not exactly Shakespeare."

By then they were both sitting at the edge of the stage, gazing out at the empty auditorium. Suddenly the bell rang, indicating the start of first period.

Ryan stood up and went to grab his things. He picked up her bag and handed it to her. "Are you going to try out even if Troy doesn't try out with you?" he asked.

"Are you going to try out even if Sharpay doesn't try out with you?" Gabriella countered, taking the bag from him.

Ryan smiled. "I will if you will."

Gabriella paused for a moment, making that expression that always put butterflies in his stomach. "Okay," she said finally.

"Pinky swear?" Ryan asked, holding out his hand with his pinky finger sticking out.

Gabriella stared at it for a moment. "I haven't done that since Kindergarten."

Ryan feigned offense. "Are you saying you don't believe in the power of the pinky swear?"

Gabriella beamed, linking her pinky with his. "Nope. Not at all."


	7. Chopsticks

A/N: You guys are the best. Thanking you for all the wonderful feedback. Feedback is what keeps me writing. I hope you like this one (and you should all check out "Wicked," my favorite musical alongside Les Miserables).

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 7**

It was free period and Ryan was wandering the halls, pacing in front of the sign-up sheet for the winter musical auditions. Pulling off his newsboy cap for a moment, he ran his hand through his blonde hair, frustrated with himself.

Ms. Darbus had announced in first period that the musical would indeed be Wicked. Ryan figured he would be perfect for the role of the munchkin boy but he wasn't sure if he was ready to strike out on his own yet. He knew he had promised Gabriella though, so he just needed to pace until he had built up enough courage to sign up. Putting his cap back on, he turned towards the sign-up sheet, but then hesitated again.

"Move RYAN!" shrieked a voice behind him.

Ryan stepped aside to find his twin sister glaring at him.

Sharpay leapt at the sign-up sheet and left her extravagant signature across the page.

"What part are you trying out for?" Ryan asked, ignoring her rude behavior.

"Glinda, of course!" Sharpay smirked. "Do you really think I'd let them put that green gook on my face?"

"You wouldn't want to be typecast," Taylor said, walking up to the siblings with Gabriella.

"What did you just say?" Sharpay hissed.

"Nothing," Taylor grinned. Folding her arms, she added, "I am sure the Wicked Witch is too complex a role for you. Not enough smiling and bouncing around."

Sharpay's eyes narrowed at her comments. "Well not all of us can be grumpy little shrews." Swishing her hair over her shoulder, she stomped away.

Taylor turned to Gabriella with a smile on her face. "I can't believe that's the best she can do."

"I can," Gabriella said.

Taylor giggled at Gabriella's uncharacteristically snarky response.

"Hey, Gabriella," Ryan greeted, waving at her shyly.

"Hey, Ryan," Gabriella smiled, her eyes sparkling. "So have you signed up?"

"I-I was just about to," Ryan lied. Taking out his pen, he quickly scribbled his name on the sheet.

"Which part are you trying out for?" Taylor inquired, gazing at the list of parts.

"Probably Boq, the munchkin," Ryan replied.

"Why not Fiyero?" Gabriella asked, frowning.

Ryan chuckled. "Can you really see me as the popular, rebellious, hot guy?"

Gabriella blushed, an image flashing in her mind.

"Would you rather be the little whiny dude and have to suck up to Sharpay's Glinda the whole time?" Taylor asked.

Ryan smiled, shaking his head. "It's okay. I'm used to being the underdog."

"But if you play Fiyero you'd get a chance to show off your dancing skills," Gabriella pointed out. "The munchkin doesn't really dance in this, does he?"

"I know," Ryan nodded. His arms falling at his side, he sighed. "Still, I may be a good actor, but I don't think I can transform myself into the guy that gets all the girls."

Gabriella stared at him for a moment. "I don't see why you couldn't," she argued.

Ryan shook his head. "Thanks for the encouragement, but I doubt I could get the lead. I don't mind playing a supporting role . . . I'm kind of used to it."

"Ryan!" Gabriella exclaimed unexpectedly. "You really need to believe in yourself more. I think you'd be great as Fiyero."

Taylor looked at her friend curiously. "Gabby, maybe we should let Ryan decide what part he wants to try out for," she said gently.

Ryan felt bad for upsetting Gabriella. Reaching out and placing his hand on her shoulder, he assured her, "Look, I'll just try out and let Ms. Darbus decide which part I can do, okay?"

Gabriella's expression softened. "Okay."

Handing Gabriella his pen, Ryan added, "But this means you're trying out for Elphaba, right?"

Gabriella took his pen and signed her name. "Right," she agreed hesitantly. "But if I don't get it, that's okay. I'll play her sister or something . . ."

"Now who's not believing in herself?" Ryan winked at her.

Gabriella blushed. All three looked up at the clock when the bell rang for lunch time.

"Ready to go?" Taylor asked, hooking her arm through Gabriella's.

Gabriella nodded and they both walked towards the cafeteria. Gabriella paused at the end of the hall and turned back towards Ryan. "Are you coming?"

Ryan stood there for a moment before realizing what she was asking. "Oh-oh sure!" he stammered, walking quickly to catch up to them. Feeling his stomach start to do somersaults, he frowned. Gabriella would have to stop being so nice to him. He didn't know how much harder he could fight back.

As the three entered the noisy cafeteria, they spotted Chad, Jason, Kelsi and Zeke over at the center table. Kelsi waved at them as they proceeded to join the group.

Ryan followed shyly, feeling out of place. Even though he had made friends with most of them over the summer, he had never eaten lunch with them before.

"Hey guys, look who I found," Gabriella smiled, gesturing toward Ryan.

"Hey Ryan!" Jason and Zeke greeted.

"How's the ladies' man?" Chad teased.

Ryan grinned. "Far from being a ladies' man, my friend," he answered, taking a seat next to Kelsi.

Gabriella took a seat next to Ryan and Taylor crossed over to sit next to Chad.

"Where's Troy?" Taylor asked.

Gabriella stiffened a little at the mention of her boyfriend's name. This did not go unnoticed by the friend sitting next to her.

"He's talking to Coach about re-arranging some practices," Chad informed the group.

"How come?" Gabriella asked, surprised at this news.

"To accommodate rehearsals," Chad said matter-of-factly.

"Rehearsals?" Gabriella said, bewildered.

"For the musical . . ." Chad replied, looking at her curiously. "Didn't you know?"

Taylor leaned over and whispered to Gabriella, "Maybe this is his way of making up for last night."

Gabriella couldn't help but smile. Troy could really surprise her sometimes. "I didn't know he was trying out," she explained to Chad.

"Now you two can try out together," Ryan commented.

Gabriella looked over at Ryan, noting the hollow sound in his voice. "Yeah," she nodded.

The group all took out their lunches, ripping open paper bags, pulling out sandwiches and bags of chips and sliced fruit. However, they all stopped and stared wide-eyed at one person.

"What?" Ryan asked, feeling all eyes on him and his lunch.

"What is that?" Chad asked, his nose wrinkling at the food in front of Ryan.

"It's sushi," Ryan said, gesturing to the set up in front of him. He had laid out a linen napkin, chopsticks, a Japanese plate with various pieces of sashimi and a small dish for soy sauce. "You know, raw fish?"

"That is some lunch," Kelsi commented, her eyes still wide with wonder.

Jason kept looking back and forth between his ham sandwich and Ryan's spread.

"You guys, stop staring!" Gabriella chided them, hoping Ryan wasn't feeling uncomfortable.

"You guys have never had sushi?" Ryan asked, clearly surprised.

"This is Albuquerque, not Beverly Hills," Chad pointed out.

"Want to try some?" Ryan asked, holding up a piece of raw tuna towards Chad.

Chad immediately held up his hands. "Uh, no thanks, man. I like my food cooked."

Ryan turned to the rest of the group. "Does anyone else want to try some?"

They all stared at Ryan like he was crazy. All except Gabriella who was looking at him sympathetically. She knew Ryan didn't feel like he fit in with the rest of them, and she was hoping to change that. "I've never had sushi before," Gabriella said, breaking the tension.

Ryan, who had been looking somber, suddenly lit up. "Do you want to try some tuna?"

"Sure," Gabriella nodded, smiling. Inside, she was trying to hold back the feeling of disgust at the thought of eating raw fish.

Ryan dipped the piece of fish in the soy sauce and held it up to Gabriella. He then realized that she didn't have a plate. He looked around, unsure of how to give the food to Gabriella. He went to grab his own plate, but she stopped him.

Gabriella giggled at his awkwardness. Grabbing his hand, she pulled it towards her and ate the sushi off of the chopsticks. She chewed the food and was surprised to find that the consistency actually made the fish flavor taste better. She swallowed and found all eyes staring at her. "Not bad," she announced.

"You sure you're okay?" Taylor asked her friend, her eyes filled with concern. "I mean, if you get food poisoning, you'll have to miss our practices for Decathlon and I might have to find an alternate."

Gabriella laughed. "No, it was actually good." Turning to Ryan, she added, "Thanks for letting me try some."

Ryan smiled brightly, his cheeks pink. He was still recovering from the fact that she had just eaten off his chopsticks.

"You guys should try some," Gabriella added.

The rest of them stared at her.

"No, that's okay," Jason mumbled.

"I'm good," Kelsi replied.

"I'm full from my sandwich," Chad said.

"My mom will kill me if I don't finish my lunch," Zeke answered.

"I don't think we can find two alternates," Taylor said bluntly.

"Okay, guys, I can take a hint," Gabriella laughed. She glanced at Ryan, rolling her eyes.

Ryan couldn't help laughing at her expression.

"Hi guys," a voice interrupted.

Everyone turned to find Troy standing over Gabriella and Ryan.

"Hey man," Chad greeted. "Glad you could join us."

"How'd the talk with Coach go?" Zeke asked.

Troy took a seat next to Gabriella. "Fine," he said tersely.

"Hey Troy," Gabriella smiled at him, despite feeling the tension emitting from her boyfriend.

"I saw you signed up for the musical . . . as a soloist," Troy said, pulling out his lunch.

Gabriella frowned. "I didn't know you were going to try out," she explained.

"Why not?" Troy asked. "I thought we were going to try out together."

"We still can," Gabriella replied. "I just thought that after this summer, you might not be into the whole singing thing anymore."

"You guys would make a great Elphaba and Fiyero," Kelsi commented.

"A what and a what?" Jason asked.

"It's the two lead roles in the musical," Taylor explained. "You really should get out more," she teased Jason.

"Oh, that would be awesome," Jason said. "You guys were great in the last musical."

Chad nodded. "Plus, it'd be great to see someone other than Sharpay and Ry—" Chad stopped, feeling a foot stomp on his own. Chad looked up to find Gabriella glaring at him. "Sorry," he mumbled, realizing that Ryan was sitting right there.

"It's okay," Ryan said. Turning to Troy he added, "I think you'd be perfect for the part of Fiyero."

"Thanks," Troy mumbled.

Gabriella looked over at Ryan, frowning. Was it wrong that she was rooting for someone other than her boyfriend?


	8. Beautiful Disaster

A/N: I loved writing this chapter. I hope it evokes the emotions I wanted to convey. I highly recommend listening to Jon McLaughlin's Beautiful Disaster before reading this chapter. Please let me know what you think of this part of the story.

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 8**

Gabriella sat on the school steps, reading her chemistry book. She was waiting for Troy to get out of basketball practice so they could rehearse for the auditions. She sighed, turning the page. Today had not been the best day for her.

Troy was acting colder than usual, and she was getting really tired of it. She was a patient girl but sometimes she wondered if what she and Troy had was worth fighting for. She felt like she already knew who she was while Troy was still a work-in-progress. He had helped her grow so much. Was it fair of her to give up on him?

Realizing that she hadn't read a single word of the page before, Gabriella slammed the book shut. She would not be able to get her chemistry reading done today. Looking up, she noticed a familiar figure in the distance sitting beneath a tree. Putting her book in her bag, she got up and walked over to him.

As Gabriella got closer, she realized his eyes were closed and he was humming something. "Ryan?" she asked.

Ryan didn't move, his head swaying back and forth.

Gabriella stared at him, curious about his strange behavior. "Ryan?" she said a little louder. She stepped closer and tapped him on the shoulder.

Ryan jumped, his eyes flying open. The books that were on his lap fell to the grass and his brown cap fell lopsided on his head. Putting his hand over his hat to keep it from falling off, he yelped, "Right away, ma'am!"

Gabriella giggled, feeling relaxed for the first time that afternoon. "Ryan, it's just me," she beamed at him.

Ryan pulled out the earbuds that were in his ears, letting out a breath when he realized who it was. Holding his hand to his chest, he stated dramatically, "Thanks for giving me that heart attack."

Gabriella grinned. "Who did you think it was?"

"Sharpay," Ryan smirked.

"You call your sister, 'ma'am'?" Gabriella asked.

Ryan laughed. "Sorry, force of habit. So what are you doing here?"

"Waiting for Troy," Gabriella explained. "What about you?"

"Waiting for Sharpay," Ryan replied.

They both stood silently for a moment.

"What are you listening to?" Gabriella inquired, gazing at the iPod in his shirt pocket.

"Sharpay's birthday present," Ryan answered vaguely.

Gabriella looked quizzically at him. "Okay, you're going to have to explain that one."

Ryan blushed, realizing that he was making no sense. "I was going to sing Sharpay a song for her birthday. I heard this one on the radio and I thought it would be perfect for her," Ryan explained.

"What song is it?" Gabriella asked.

"It's called 'Beautiful Disaster,'" Ryan informed her. "It's by Jon McLaughlin."

"I don't think I know that one," Gabriella replied.

Ryan turned on his iPod and handed an earbud to Gabriella. "Here," he offered.

Gabriella sat down across from him, cross-legged, and put it in her ear. Ryan put the other one in his ear and played the song. The echoing sounds of piano keys filled their ears.

_She loves her mama's lemonade,  
Hates the sounds that goodbyes make.  
She prays one day she'll find someone to need her.  
She swears that there's no difference,  
Between the lies and compliments.  
It's all the same if everybody leaves her.  
_

Gabriella's expression softened as she listened to the words of the song. She gazed at Ryan whose eyes were closed as he hummed along. Her heart ached with every beat, the notes striking the chambers of ear with bittersweet sound. She was mesmerized.

_And every magazine tells her she's not good enough,  
The pictures that she sees make her cry.  
_  
_And she would change everything, everything just ask her.  
Caught in the in between, a beautiful disaster,  
And she just needs someone to take her home.  
_

Ryan continued to hum the song, wrapped up in the melody and the lyrics. He had heard this song late one night as he was flipping through the radio stations. It immediately struck him. No song had ever described his sister so perfectly.

_She's giving boys what they want, tries to act so nonchalant,  
Afraid they'll see that she's lost her direction.  
She never stays the same for long,  
Assuming that she'll get it wrong.  
Perfect only in her imperfection._

_She's not a drama queen,  
She doesn't want to feel this way, _

_Only seventeen . . . but tired  
_

Gabriella felt moisture fill her eyes. The song had her enraptured. She found it hard to believe that Sharpay could have this much depth, but what affected Gabriella more was that this was how Ryan saw Sharpay. Despite how his sister treated him, no matter how cruel she could be, through Ryan's eyes Sharpay still had some beauty in her. Gabriella's admiration for Ryan swelled at that realization.

_  
She would change everything for happy ever after.  
Caught in the in between, a beautiful disaster,  
But she just needs someone to take her home._

_'Cause she's just the way she is, but no one's told her that's ok._

"That's my favorite line," Ryan said, his eyes still closed.

Gabriella smiled, wiping away a stray tear. "I can see why." Her eyes were enchanted by the expression on his face. She could almost see his heart there . . . the way he was lost in the song . . . his sincere compassion for his sister . . . she wished she could grab just a piece of that emotion for herself.

_  
And she would change everything, everything just ask her.  
Caught in the in between, a beautiful disaster,_

_And she would change everything for happy ever after.  
Caught in the in between, a beautiful disaster,_

_But she just needs someone to take her home  
And she just needs someone to take her home._

As the sound of the piano keys trickled off, Ryan opened his eyes. His expression instantly changed when he saw the tears in Gabriella's eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked, worry echoing in his voice. His hand instinctively reached out to cup her face, striking a contrast of alabaster against mocha.

Gabriella nodded, smiling through her tears. "It's just so beautiful," she sighed. She tried hard not to blush at the feel of his hand on her face. Still, her heart pounded quickly as Ryan's thumb stroked her cheek to wipe away her tears.

Ryan gazed at her intently, his eyes following the trail of tears on her face as he rubbed them off. Finally he looked up at her and his eyes locked with hers. Realizing that he had crossed a line, his hand fell instantly and he backed away. "So, uh, what do you think?"

Feeling a strange sense of loss, Gabriella quickly recovered. "It was incredible," she said gently. "I love it, Ryan."

Ryan smiled, feeling brighter because of her approval. "You don't think it's cheesy?" he said, feeling self-conscious.

"No," Gabriella said quickly. "It was amazing." Her hand fell over his, trying to assure him that this was the most amazing gift she could imagine. "It almost breaks my heart, it's so beautiful."

Gabriella's words relaxed the doubt in his mind. Ryan glanced at her for a moment, caught up in her incredible brown eyes. It was like a window to her heart. He could see everything she was feeling in them. "I felt the same way when I first heard the song."

"It's pretty incredible how much you love Sharpay," Gabriella observed.

Ryan shook his head. "She's my sister," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Still, it's hard to see behind that wall that Sharpay puts up," Gabriella said. "It takes a really big heart to see past it."

"Sharpay is . . . complicated," Ryan said slowly. "She thinks that she has to act a certain way to get people to like her. Part of it is because we were both so spoiled growing up. She doesn't know any better."

"But you do," Gabriella pointed out.

"It's different for me," Ryan replied. "I haven't always been in the spotlight. When we were kids, Sharpay was every teacher's favorite student because she was so good at singing and performing. A lot of the kids really resented her for it. They were mean to her and they gossiped behind her back. They would pull her hair, make fun of her, steal her lunch . . . really awful things. She took it really hard and she cried a lot when she was at home."

Gabriella bit her lower lip, surprised to hear this.

"No one would sit with her at lunch, so I did. When she tried out for plays and stuff, I'd try out with her," Ryan explained. "I knew she loved performing but she was scared to do it because of the backlash."

Gabriella nodded, not surprised that Ryan would watch out for his sister like that.

Ryan sighed. "As we got older, Sharpay started to figure out that if she was mean back to the kids and acted like she was above them, they would have this twisted sense of fear and admiration for her. She turned the resentment into this worship thing. She said it was better than being an outcast."

"I had no idea," Gabriella confessed.

Ryan smiled, "No one did."

"It's so great that you were there for her," Gabriella said, awed by his kindness.

Ryan shrugged. "It wasn't all bad for me either. I got really comfortable just following her around. She was able to do her performing and I started to like it too. It was great getting to do all the shows and it was nice to see Sharpay happy. She felt like she had a place at East High."

"Until I came along," Gabriella observed, guiltily.

"It wasn't your fault," Ryan replied. "Besides, I'm starting to realize that I probably enabled her by helping her with her scheming. It's probably better for her to have some competition; it might make her a better person." Ryan rubbed the back of his neck. "Wow, I've never told anyone any of this before," he realized, his eyes wide.

Gabriella pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Peering at him, she said appreciatively, "Thanks for telling me."

Ryan glanced at her. "You're easy to talk to, Gabriella."

Gabriella grinned, a twinkle in her eye. "So are you, Ryan."

Realizing that he was getting too comfortable, Ryan quickly changed the subject. "So do you know what song you and Troy are going to sing for the auditions?"

"I'm not sure. Probably the duet between Elphaba and Fiyero," Gabriella replied. "What about you?"

"It's tough," Ryan admitted. "There aren't that many songs I can audition with for Boq. He doesn't have any solos."

Gabriella looked at him, her eyes narrowed. "You changed your mind?"

Ryan was surprised by the tone of her voice. "About what?"

"About trying out for Fiyero," Gabriella responded.

Unable to look at her, Ryan stated simply, "Kelsi was right. Elphaba and Fiyero were practically written for you and Troy. Troy is confident, popular and in case you didn't notice, you're the envy of all the girls at this school. He fits Fiyero to a T."

"I'm not saying I agree with that, but even if it was true that doesn't mean you shouldn't try out for Fiyero," Gabriella insisted. "Why don't you let Ms. Darbus decide who the best person is for the lead?"

"Come on, do you really think I have a chance against the golden boy of East High?" Ryan chuckled.

"Yes," Gabriella answered gruffly.

Ryan held up his hands in surrender. "Okay. If I try out for Fiyero, will you stop glaring at me like that?"

Gabriella unfolded her arms, her face breaking into a smile. "So that's a yes?"

"Yes," Ryan answered. "You're scary when you're mad," he teased.

Gabriella laughed, putting her arm around his shoulder. "Then I hope you've learned your lesson."

"Do you always get your way?" Ryan questioned, his eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, but I usually don't have to work this hard," Gabriella giggled.


	9. Dancing Through Life

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. Life kind of got in the way. I hope you like this chapter as much as you've liked the previous ones. I love reading each and every one of your reviews. Thanks to those who have made this story a favorite or amazingly put me as a favorite author. I am really thankful for your appreciation.**  
**

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 9**

Gabriella walked down the hallway from history class toward the auditorium. It was Wednesday afternoon and she and Troy had another practice session with Kelsi. The tune to "As Long As You're Mine" was playing in her head as she glided down the hall. She and Troy had patched things up for the most part. When she gazed into his eyes while rehearsing the song, she couldn't help falling under the spell. The lyrics of the song made her heart beat faster and in those moments she could believe he loved her the way that he used to.

Gabriella's daydreaming was interrupted by the bouncing sounds of a song playing in the auditorium. She walked a little faster to the door to find out what was going on. Peering inside, she spotted Ryan onstage standing next to Kelsi.

"And then you do this," Ryan said as he twirled and stomped down his foot.

"Like this?" Kelsi asked, imitating him. Unfortunately, Kelsi did not show the same finesse and ended up tripping over her own feet.

Ryan caught Kelsi before she fell. "Almost," he said, chuckling.

"This is why I write songs, NOT dance," Kelsi smirked.

"Is that a challenge?" Ryan asked, winking at Kelsi.

"No!" Kelsi said quickly. "I saw what you did with Chad, but he has rhythm and coordination because of basketball."

"And you do too because you play the piano," Ryan pointed out.

"Well if you can show me a dance that involves only my hands, then maybe I'd agree with you," Kelsi replied.

Ryan grinned, knowing he wasn't going to win with this stubborn girl.

"Hey guys," Gabriella greeted.

Ryan leaned forward and turned off the iPod at his feet. "Hey Gabriella. Are you here to practice for the auditions?" he asked.

Gabriella nodded. "So was that your solo piece I heard just now?"

"Yeah, I was just rehearsing it with Kelsi, showing her a few moves," Ryan said, turning around in an effortless spin to show Gabriella what he meant.

"Lookin' good, Wildcat," Gabriella observed, smiling.

"You should see him do the whole thing," Kelsi suggested. "He's amazing."

Ryan grinned, giving Kelsi a small hug around the shoulders. "Thanks, Kels."

"I would love to see it," Gabriella said excitedly.

"I guess I could show you what I have so far," Ryan replied. "Kelsi, you want to get on the keys? You're so much better than the track."

Kelsi nodded eagerly and took a seat at the piano bench.

Ryan got into position, sitting at the edge of the chair on the stage. Looking right at Gabriella, he smiled.

_The trouble with school is_

_They always try to teach the wrong lesson_

The way Ryan's face lit up as he sang made Gabriella smile even brighter.

_Believe me, I've been kicked out_

_Of enough of them to know_

Ryan stretched out his hand, offering it to Gabriella. She grabbed it and he pulled her up to the stage. His eyes gazed into hers as he sang to her, a wide grin on his face.

_They want you to become less callow_

_Less shallow_

_But I say, "Why invite stress in?"_

_Stop studying strife_

_And learn to live the unexamined life_

Gabriella could feel chills as his voice trailed off with the music before the beat picked up slightly. Ryan danced around Gabriella, making her smile. She couldn't help admiring how talented he was . . . not just with his dancing, but also the way his voice embraced the song, delivering each line with a warm, smooth sound. As Ryan was giving her a twirl, Gabriella's eyes glittered with joy, the skirt of her dress swirling around her.

_Dancing through life_

_Skimming the surface_

_Gliding where turf is smooth_

As his foot glided across the stage floor, Ryan eyed Gabriella, giving her a teasing smirk.

_Life's more painless_

_For the brainless_

Following that line, Ryan rolled his eyes, causing Gabriella to laugh out loud.

_Why think too hard?_

_When it's so soothing_

Ryan grabbed both of Gabriella's hands and pulled her towards him and for a moment, she could swear she felt her heart fluttering. But that was silly. Ryan was only her friend.

_Dancing through life_

_No need to tough it_

_When you can sluff it off as I do_

As Ryan brushed imaginary dust off each shoulder, Gabriella started to realize just how perfectly Ryan would fit into this role.

_Nothing matters_

_But knowing nothing matters_

_It's just life_

_So keep dancing through_

While Ryan's voice extended that note, Gabriella clapped her hands together, amazed at how well he sang this song.

_Dancing through life_

_Swaying and sweeping_

Ryan grabbed Gabriella, swinging her around in a circle as he sang.

_And always keeping cool_

_Life is fraught-less_

_When you're thoughtless_

_Those who don't try_

_Never look foolish_

As Gabriella spun out, she noticed how perfectly in tune they both were with each other. It reminded her of the rehearsals they had gone through for the talent show that past summer.

_Dancing through life_

_Mindless and careless_

_Make sure you're where less_

_Trouble is rife_

Ryan loved dancing with Gabriella. She wasn't the most experienced dancer he'd ever met, but she had this effortless energy that somehow made him more confident. Maybe it was because he had only danced with Sharpay before and his sister always had to lead.

_Woes are fleeting_

_Blows are glancing_

_When you're dancing_

_Through life_

Ryan's voice faded then. He gave a glance towards Kelsi, prompting her to stop playing. "That's all I have so far," he explained to Gabriella.

Gabriella smiled, slowly letting go of his hand. "You did such a good job, Ryan. You are perfect for the part."

Ryan stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking shyly at his feet. "Thanks, but I'm pretty sure Troy is going to be awesome too."

Gabriella didn't say anything, but her mind was screaming, "But you're so much better!" She loved Troy but he wasn't as talented a dancer and if she was honest, Ryan was a much better singer too.

"Thanks for dancing with me," Ryan said. Feeling suddenly brave, he confessed, "The only bad part about playing Boq would be that he doesn't get to dance with Elphaba."

"He gets to dance with Nessa Rose," Gabriella pointed out, secretly getting butterflies at Ryan's comment.

"You guys would be great playing Boq and Nessa Rose," Kelsi commented. After witnessing the two on stage, she knew that their friendship shone through the way they danced together. They were so comfortable with each other.

"Come on, you'll get the lead. I can't imagine anyone playing Elphaba but you," Ryan insisted.

Gabriella gave in. "Well Elphaba doesn't have to dance much, so that's good for me. With my two left feet and everything . . ."

"You're getting a lot better," Ryan pointed out.

"Thanks to you!" Gabriella countered.

"It was fun teaching you and everyone else this summer," Ryan said, remembering the practices at the country club.

Gabriella could see Ryan's eyes sparkling as he thought of the talent show rehearsals. She frowned, a strange unsettling feeling coming over her. She remembered how hard Ryan had worked to get the whole group together and dancing for the talent show. He'd really put his heart and soul in it. They had won that award mostly because of him.

Biting her lower lip, she realized her discomfort was actually guilt. Sudden, painful guilt. They had taken Ryan's part and given it to Troy without ever checking to see how Ryan felt about it. Why hadn't she realized it before?

"Maybe I'll be a dance teacher someday," Ryan imagined.

"But what about your singing?" Gabriella asked.

Ryan shrugged. "I'm not that good anyway."

Gabriella knew that wasn't true. She glanced away and asked hesitantly, "Ryan, were you, I mean, did you . . . well . . . were you mad that Troy sang your part for the talent show?"

Ryan looked at her with surprise. "No. Why would I be mad?"

Gabriella turned to Ryan, her eyes looking sad. "It's just, we never asked you . . ."

"That's okay. I understood," Ryan replied, trying to reassure her.

"I hope the reason you don't think you can sing isn't because we gave your parts to Troy," Gabriella said, her eyebrows knitted together with worry.

"Oh! No way, I didn't even think of that," Ryan answered immediately. "It was important to you . . . and Troy."

"Because you're a great singer, Ryan," Gabriella stated firmly.

Ryan blushed. "Thanks."

Gabriella nodded but she still felt bad about what she had done. She was so wrapped up in her drama with Troy that she didn't even think of Ryan. She had to do something to make it up to him.

The echoing sound of running feet interrupted their conversation. When they both looked up, they spotted Troy rushing toward the stage. "So sorry I'm late! Practice ran overtime," Troy explained.

Ryan instinctively stepped away from Gabriella, not wanting to cause more trouble for her.

Troy walked over to the pair and held out his hand for Gabriella's. "Shall we?"

Gabriella took it and smiled softly. "Let's get started," she nodded.

Ryan felt suddenly out of place. "I'll, uh, see you guys tomorrow," he said abruptly. He grabbed his bag and quickly walked for the door.

"Bye Ryan!" Gabriella said, her voice fading softly on the last part as he disappeared into the hallway.

"I'm surprised Ryan is auditioning without Sharpay," Troy commented, oblivious to the expression on Gabriella's face.

"I'm glad," Kelsi admitted. "He's so much nicer without Sharpay."

Troy laughed in agreement. Turning to Gabriella, he asked, "So do you want to go catch a movie on Friday night? I think I need a break to prepare for that date with Sharpay."

"I can't," Gabriella answered.

"Why not?" Troy asked, his face getting tense.

"I . . . I have a date with Ryan," Gabriella confessed.

"What?!"


	10. Ryan Is My Friend

A/N: Here's another chapter. I am in awe of all of your comments. You guys totally make my day! I adore the potential of Ryella and I hope you'll bear with me as I build up this story. I just thought I couldn't do it justice if Gabriella just dumped Troy for no reason. Enjoy and as always, I live for feedback :)**  
**

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 10**

Troy took a deep breath, the red coloring of his face slightly fading to a bright pink. "I don't think I heard you right," Troy said, the taut veins along his neck betraying his barely contained rage.

Gabriella tightened her fists, recovering from the surprise of his outburst. "I said I am going out with Ryan on Friday."

"Why would you go out with him?" Troy shouted.

"Why would you go out with Sharpay?" Gabriella countered, holding her ground.

"That's not the same thing," Troy replied, his eyes wide with bewilderment at Gabriella's behavior. "I HAVE to go out with Sharpay. She bid on me."

"And I bid on Ryan," Gabriella said.

"You didn't HAVE to," Troy argued.

"You saw how Sharpay tried to humiliate him. He's my friend—"

"Don't get me started on that—"

"On what, Troy?"

"You know what. Do you know how humiliating it is to have your girlfriend bid on another guy in front of the whole school?"

"And do you know how humiliating it is to have your boyfriend blow up every time you spend two seconds with another guy?"

"Ryan isn't just another guy, Gabriella."

"What makes him so different from Chad or Jason or Zeke?"

"They aren't all over you every time I turn around. I _trust _them."

"Ryan is my friend, Troy. He has never tried anything. Why don't you trust _me_?"

"Give me a break. You don't think I see what he tried to do this summer? I'm not stupid, Gabriella."

Gabriella was shocked by the anger written all over Troy's face. Why couldn't he see that he was overreacting? "Troy, I can't be around you when you're like this." She went to grab her bag when Troy grabbed her arm to stop her.

"I can't help it. I love you, Gabriella. I can't lose you," Troy said softly.

"Then Ryan isn't what you should be worried about," Gabriella said, her lips in a thin line. "I would look in the mirror, Troy. I don't even know who you are anymore." She pulled her arm from his grip and walked away. "Sorry, Kelsi. Maybe some other time."

Kelsi nodded, her eyes wide. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed.

Troy stood there, his arms dropped at his sides as Gabriella left the auditorium. He picked up his gym bag and threw it across the stage in frustration.

Kelsi winced, causing her piano bench to squeak against the stage floor.

Troy realized he wasn't alone and saw the scared expression on Kelsi's face. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to . . ."

"It's, it's okay," Kelsi stammered.

Troy looked sorrowfully at the girl. "Kelsi, you see Gabriella and Ryan. Am I wrong for being upset that my girlfriend is going out with a guy who is clearly after her?" Troy asked, exasperation in his voice.

"They're just friends," Kelsi said softly.

Troy crossed his arms, leaning against the edge of the stage. "Things are so different. Ever since this summer, it's like Gabriella and I are speaking different languages."

"Maybe if you give her some space," Kelsi suggested. "She just needs you to trust her. I think she feels like you want to control her life."

"But that's not it!" Troy insisted. "I'm just scared of losing her."

Kelsi felt sorry for the basketball player. Walking to the edge of the stage, she sat down next to him. "Maybe she's scared too. You spent a lot of time with Sharpay this summer," she pointed out.

"But I don't even like Sharpay," Troy replied.

"But Sharpay likes you," Kelsi said, stating the obvious. "If anyone should be jealous, it's Gabriella, not you."

Troy looked at Kelsi, confusion in his eyes.

Kelsi sighed. "Ryan was nice to all of us this summer. I think if you gave him a chance, you'd see he's not that bad. Just because Sharpay has been trying to break up you and Gabriella doesn't mean that her brother is trying to do the same thing."

"But I'm not crazy. I saw him kiss her hand _and_ hug her," Troy said, remembering the image of Gabriella and Ryan together at the country club.

Kelsi kind of understood why Troy would be upset about that, but Ryan was just a friendly guy. "Gabriella just sees Ryan as her friend," Kelsi said. "You have to trust that she loves you and wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Just like she did for you this summer."

Troy sighed, knowing Kelsi was right. Turning to glance at her, he smiled slightly. "Thanks for letting me vent."

Kelsi patted him on the shoulder. "Anytime. Just be glad it was me and not Taylor."

Troy laughed. "Yeah, if it was Taylor I'd be dead meat."

Outside of the auditorium, Gabriella was at her locker, getting her books. She was so frustrated with Troy and his possessive behavior. Okay, so maybe it was normal for a boyfriend to not want his girlfriend to go out with another guy, but Troy had no room to be so judgmental. She didn't say a word when he didn't even try to avoid his date with Sharpay. She hadn't said a word all summer when Sharpay had been hanging all over him. Why was he so suspicious of Ryan anyway?

Sure, Ryan was sweet, considerate and charming. Ryan was talented, kind and compassionate. Ryan was . . . well, pretty much an amazing friend. But that was it. A _friend_.

Gabriella slammed her locker shut. What was wrong with wanting to hang out with someone who listened to her without judgment? What was wrong with wanting to be around someone who trusted her? With Ryan there was no pressure to be someone's girlfriend. She could just be herself.

Gabriella walked toward the school entrance, lost in her own thoughts. Troy used to be that guy. The one she could turn to. The one who believed in her. The one who saw her as more than just that math genius. It used to be that when she was with him, she felt special. What happened to that guy?

Gabriella wished there was someone she could talk to about all of this. Her mom was a good listener, but she wouldn't understand. Her mom didn't even want her to have a boyfriend. Taylor was a great friend but ever since she started dating Chad, Gabriella found it harder to vent to Taylor about Troy. Kelsi was a sweet girl, but Gabriella didn't usually talk to Kelsi about boys, let alone Troy. The one friend Gabriella wanted to talk to about this, she knew she shouldn't. After all, he was the reason she and Troy were fighting in the first place.

Realizing that she had forgotten her history book, Gabriella turned back around toward her locker. This was going to be a long day.

Down the hall, Ryan Evans was walking toward the drama club office, hands in his pockets, whistling the tune to "Dancing Through Life." He stopped abruptly when he heard the sound of singing coming from the music room. He turned around and walked to the door and spotted someone he didn't know singing a song from "Wicked."

"Hello?" Ryan said, knocking on the door.

The blonde girl stopped singing and turned around quickly. "Ryan?" she asked.

"Oh, it's you. Hi, uhhh . . ."

"Brittany," the girl supplied, giggling.

"You're one of Sharpay's friends, right?"

Brittany nodded.

"So are you trying out for the musical?" Ryan questioned.

Brittany blushed. "Oh, no, I was just fooling around. I can't sing."

"I think you sounded okay," Ryan stated. "I mean we could always use more people for the musical."

"No way, I would never get a part. I'm not a good singer like Sharpay or Gabriella," Brittany insisted.

"There are more than two parts in the musical," Ryan laughed.

Brittany blushed even brighter. "Oh, I know that. I just, well, compared to them, people would just laugh at me."

Ryan smirked, crossing his arms. "I think you should give it a try. Why don't you sing a little of what you were just singing?"

Brittany looked away, shaking her head. "Oh no, I couldn't."

"Pretend I'm not even here," Ryan said, taking a seat in the middle of the room. "You don't even have to turn around."

Brittany glanced back at him. "Okay, but if I'm bad, you won't make fun of me?"

"No," Ryan assured her. "But I'm sure you'll be fine."

Brittany nodded slowly. "Okay."

Ryan watched as Brittany turned around slowly, her hazel eyes looking anxiously at him.

Taking a deep breath, Brittany began singing.

_Did that really just happen?  
Have I actually understood?_

Brittany cleared her voice, feeling it quiver.

_  
This weird quirk I've tried  
To suppress or hide  
Is a talent that could  
Help me meet the Wizard  
If I make good  
So I'll make good_

Brittany softened the last word, letting it fade into silence. "Okay, that was terrible," Brittany said, turning her back to Ryan, clearly embarrassed.

Ryan stood up and walked to her. "That was a great start. You have a good voice. You just need a little practice."

Brittany turned to Ryan, surprised. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Ryan chuckled.

"W-will you help me?" Brittany asked, stammering a bit.

"Help you practice for the auditions?" Ryan questioned, surprised by her request.

Brittany nodded. "I mean, only if you have time."

"Well, I guess I could," Ryan said, taking it into consideration. He could tell Brittany had a decent voice and she looked like she could use some encouragement.

"Oh thank you!" Brittany exclaimed throwing her arms around Ryan, giving him a tight hug.

Ryan laughed, amused by her enthusiasm. "No problem."

Outside the music room, Gabriella was standing at the door, gripping her history book. An ugly feeling tightened her stomach as she absorbed the image of the blonde freshman and Ryan in an embrace. Confused by her emotions, Gabriella quickly turned away and ran toward the school entrance, wanting to be anywhere but there.

Down the hall, Ryan's sister and her two blonde minions were smiling at the image of the brunette running away. Sharpay's plan was working.


	11. Homeroom

A/N: This chapter is longer than the others, but I had a lot of filler stuff to build up to the next couple of chapters. Thanks for sticking with me. I am so excited to see that you are all continuing to enjoy this story. R&R!!!**  
**

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 11**

Ryan walked down the hallways of East High, his messenger bag over his shoulder and his iPod hanging from his belt. Like most mornings, he had gotten to school early. He was headed towards his locker but was stopped by the sight of Gabriella, sitting alone in homeroom.

Ryan entered their classroom slowly, unsure of whether he should make his presence known. Noticing Gabriella's tearful expression, he asked softly, "Gabriella? Are you okay?"

Gabriella gazed up at him, her chocolate brown eyes filled with wet tears. Unable to speak she shook her head.

Ryan dropped his bag at his feet and knelt beside her. "Is it Troy?"

Gabriella nodded, her lower lip quivering.

Ryan reached out to wipe away her tears but Gabriella surprised him by throwing her arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly. He let her hold him.

At first, Ryan tried not to react to the fact that the girl he had been trying not to like was in such close contact with him. He could smell the shampoo she had used that morning and he could feel the softness of her skin against his own. However, when Ryan felt her body shaking with the sobs she had been trying to hold back, he snapped out of his daze. "Shhhh," he whispered, stroking his fingers through her ebony curls.

Gabriella buried her face in the curve of Ryan's neck, taking thick breaths as she tried to push away her tears.

Ryan wanted to take Gabriella's sadness away, but he could only hold her until she was ready.

Gabriella's sobs faded into choked breaths until finally the only noises she made were tiny sniffles. Her arms still around his neck, she pulled away slowly, her cheek rubbing against the curve of his jaw. She pulled back just enough so that she could gaze into his eyes. Her nose was inches from his. Her soft, gasping breaths feathered his mouth.

Before Ryan could say anything, Gabriella's lips were pressed against his, full of a desperate, urgent need for comfort. His eyes instinctively closed while his lips absorbed the feel of hers. He couldn't deny that the softness of her mouth made his heart pound harder. He was spinning. The feeling was like electricity shooting through his entire body, starting from the point where her mouth met with his and running like a current to the tips of his toes.

It took every ounce of Ryan's strength not to kiss Gabriella back with all the emotions he had bottled up for weeks. He knew that wasn't what she needed. What she needed was someone to hold her and be her friend.

Gabriella pulled away when she realized that Ryan wasn't kissing her back. Bewilderment in her eyes, she asked in a whisper, "Ryan?"

Ryan swallowed, his chest aching with each breath. The sound of her voice saying his name brought warmth to his cheeks and made him regret letting the moment pass.

"Ryan?" Gabriella said again, her voice growing self-conscious. She gazed at him questioningly and called his name, "Ryan? Ryan? Ry—"

"RYAN!!!!"

Ryan shot up, his head slamming against something solid.

"Ow, Ryan!" a voice shrieked.

Ryan eyes popped open as he sat upright in his bed. "Wh-what happened?" he stammered, trying to get his bearings.

His twin sister, standing a few feet away from him, glared angrily in his direction. "You ran right into my elbow with that thick skull of yours, _Ryan_. That's what happened!" Sharpay exclaimed.

Ryan rubbed his forehead, feeling it throbbing from the harsh contact with his sister's arm. "Ouch," he said, having a delayed reaction.

"Shut up, you're not hurt," Sharpay snarled. "Get up! We're going to be late for school."

Ryan yawned, rubbing his forehead. "Okay, sure thing."

As Ryan got up, Sharpay eyed him suspiciously. "Why were you moaning in your sleep?"

Ryan's head snapped in her direction. "I-I wasn't moaning," he denied quickly. "Why would I be moaning?" he chuckled awkwardly.

"I don't know," Sharpay said, her arms crossed. "You tell me."

Ryan felt uncomfortable under his sister's scrutinizing gaze. He felt his cheeks start to heat up. "I, uh, dreamt I was . . . um, I just found out I was cast in Cats and you know how much I hate wearing spandex." _Whew, that was a close one._

Sharpay's eyes narrowed. "Those were not moans of pain," she stated flatly.

_Uh oh._ "Yeah they were," Ryan insisted. Pushing his sister towards the door, he said abruptly, "Okay, gotta get dressed. See you downstairs." Shoving her out of his room, he slammed the door behind her. Ryan quickly pressed his back against the door, hoping she'd go away.

Sharpay huffed at his rude behavior but spun on her heel, heading downstairs. She didn't have time for his nonsense.

Ryan breathed a sigh of relief as the sound of her footsteps slowly faded away. He rubbed his face, trying to wake himself up. "You should have known it was a dream," he scolded himself. "No way would Gabriella kiss you when she has Troy."

Shaking off the sleepy daze, Ryan quickly got dressed, getting the feeling that today was not going to be a good one.

Across town, Gabriella was getting ready for school. She quickly gulped down the milk in her cereal bowl and threw both spoon and bowl into the sink.

"What's the rush, hija?" Gabriella's mother asked.

"I just want to get to school early," Gabriella lied. In fact, school was the last place she wanted to go, but she had agreed to meet Taylor before first period to discuss the upcoming Decathlon practices.

Mrs. Montez looked at her skeptically.

The sound of a honking horn outside saved Gabriella from having to further explain herself.

"Is that Troy?" Mrs. Montez asked.

"No, it's Taylor," Gabriella said, grabbing her bag. "Bye! I'll see you later!" she shouted, running out the door.

Mrs. Montez watched her daughter leave, her expression filled with suspicion.

Gabriella raced down the sidewalk and jumped into Taylor's car. "Morning," she whispered, putting on her seatbelt.

Taylor eyed Gabriella suspiciously. "You sound not okay . . ." she observed.

Gabriella sighed. "Let's just go to school, okay?"

Taylor nodded, knowing that Gabriella needed her space. "Sure." She leaned over to turn on the radio and took a quick glance at her friend. She had a sneaking suspicion Troy had something to do with Gabriella's somber mood. If so, that boy was dead meat.

Sharpay pulled into the campus parking lot, parking abruptly in her usual spot. She got out of the car and slammed the door shut, flinging her blonde hair over her shoulder and stomping toward the school entrance.

"I said I was sorry!" Ryan called out to Sharpay as he followed quickly after her.

Sharpay's eyes narrowed but she said nothing, walking faster towards the school.

Ryan's mouth formed into a pout. He had been so distracted that morning that he had poured orange juice in Sharpay's cereal. When he realized what he'd done, he'd been so stunned that he had knocked the bowl all over Sharpay's brand new outfit. To say the least, Sharpay was NOT happy with him this morning.

Finally catching up with Sharpay, Ryan grabbed her arm. "Come on, you can't stay mad at me. It was an accident."

"Say that to Marc Jacobs!" Sharpay screeched, obviously still very mad at him.

Ryan's hand fell. He hated fighting with his sister. Head hanging, he walked toward his locker to get his things.

Sharpay turned around and continued toward her locker. Her three freshmen followers rushed in line behind her, looking anxious after noticing her angry demeanor. Sharpay reached her locker and grabbed her hairbrush, compact and pink notebook. She shut her locker with a loud slam and turned toward the three blondes. Letting out a loud sigh, she said firmly to them, "That's it. No more Miss Nice Girl."

Ryan had grabbed his math book from his locker and went to join his sister.

"Brittany, WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?" Sharpay shouted, eyeing the younger girl with disgust.

"It-it was a dress my sister got for me from Paris," Brittany stammered, her face bright red.

"Paris, _Texas_?" Sharpay sneered.

Buffy and Brandy snickered.

Brittany looked down at her feet in shame.

"That's it, Brittany. You are on probation," Sharpay announced. "I don't want you seen within 50 feet of me for the next week."

"But-but—"

"Evaporate!" Sharpay exclaimed, waving her hand. She marched away followed by Buffy and Brandy.

Brittany stared after her idol, looking ashamed.

Ryan, who had seen the entire thing, went up to Sharpay, standing between her and their classroom.

Sharpay stopped and growled, "Ryan, MOVE."

"No," Ryan said defiantly. "You're mad at me. Don't take it out on Brittany."

Brittany who had been following Sharpay from a distance looked at him in surprise. "No, Ryan. It's my mistake," the freshman girl insisted.

Sharpay looked once again at the girl's outfit and smirked. "Boy, is it."

"No," Ryan interrupted. "Sharpay's in a bad mood because of me. She shouldn't be rude to you."

"Rude?" Sharpay asked, her eyes wide with indignation. "As if." Shoving Ryan aside, she marched into homeroom.

"Bye, Sharpay!" Buffy and Brandy said in unison before turning to go to their own homerooms.

Ryan glared at Sharpay and then turned to Brittany. "I'm sorry about that."

Brittany looked at Ryan with awe. No one had ever defended her before. "Th-thanks, Ryan."

"Don't thank me. It was my fault in the first place," Ryan said, patting Brittany's shoulder.

Brittany smiled brightly, her eyes wide with admiration.

"Excuse us," a voice said behind them.

Brittany stepped aside quickly, while Ryan turned to find Taylor and Gabriella standing in the hallway. His face turned white at seeing Gabriella as he remembered his dream from that morning.

"I'll see you later, Ryan," Brittany excused herself as she walked quickly toward her first period classroom.

Ryan automatically waved goodbye, his eyes not leaving Gabriella.

"What was that about?" Taylor asked, her eyes following the blonde going down the hallway.

"Huh?" Ryan replied, his face stuck in a stupor as he stared at Gabriella.

Taylor looked at Ryan skeptically, sure that the boy was being weirder than usual. "Nevermind," she said, walking past Ryan into the classroom.

"Hi," Ryan finally managed to say, clearing his throat.

Gabriella, who had been trying to avoid his gaze, nodded and quickly went into the classroom. She had seen the exchange between Ryan and Brittany and was trying hard to push away the strange emotion that had taken her by surprise the last time she had seen Ryan with Brittany.

Ryan slapped his palm against his forehead. "Stupid," he hissed at himself before following Gabriella into the class.

The school bell rang and Kelsi, Chad, Zeke and Troy came in, quickly going to their seats.

Gabriella gave a quick glance at Troy but he didn't look back at her. Instead, he turned toward Chad and started a discussion about the next basketball game against West High. Saddened, Gabriella stared at her desk instead. Meanwhile Ryan was watching Gabriella from the back of the room. His hand tightened into a fist, realizing that Troy had upset Gabriella yet again. What a fool.

Kelsi who was sitting next to Ryan watched this entire scene with curiosity. Biting her lower lip, she wondered if what she had said to Troy about not worrying might have been a mistake.

Zeke, who sat next to Sharpay, took a brown bag out of his backpack and turned to the blonde. "Sharpay?" he asked shyly.

Sharpay looked up from her compact mirror with annoyance written all over her face. "What is it?"

"I made you your favorite cookies," Zeke said, handing her the bag.

Sharpay's face softened, grabbing the cookies. "Well, since you made them, I guess they can't go to waste." She stuffed them into her pink Louis Vuitton bag as Ms. Darbus entered the room.

"Good morning, class," Ms. Darbus greeted, walking in with a grand flourish of her arms.

"Good morning, Ms. Darbus," the class greeted simultaneously.

"As you know, our musical auditions are next week. I notice a lot of sign-ups, both old and new thespians. Hopefully we'll find some more theatrical talent to fill our temple of dramatic arts," Ms. Darbus grinned. "The spirit of theatre is nurtured by a Greek Chorus of voices, both experienced and amateur. To have so much enthusiasm for the musical makes the Shakespearian spirit within me soar to new heights of pride. I look forward to hearing and seeing what new voices may join us this semester."

The announcement reminded Ryan of something he had to ask Kelsi. "Kelsi," Ryan whispered to the girl next to him.

Kelsi glanced over at Ryan. "What is it?" she murmured softly.

"Are you free during free period? I need your help," Ryan explained.

Kelsi nodded. "Sure. You want to rehearse?"

Ryan shook his head. "Actually, I—"

"MR. EVANS!" Ms. Darbus shouted. "Perhaps you'd like to share the little conversation you are having with Ms. Nielsen with the rest of the class."

All heads turned to look at Ryan and Kelsi curiously. Gabriella and Sharpay were particularly focused on the two of them.

"Oh, I, uh . . ." Kelsi stammered.

"We were just talking about how your brilliant choice in musicals must be the reason there are so many new sign-ups, Ms. Darbus," Ryan said smoothly.

Ms. Darbus grinned widely. "Oh, well, yes, it probably is the reason. Although the Drama Club did help," she said, winking at Ryan.

Ryan winked back, a bright smile on his face. "I am sure it will be the best production East High has ever seen."

Kelsi nodded feverishly. "Yes, people are already lining up to get tickets."

Ms. Darbus blushed, giggling like a schoolgirl. "Now if only Principal Matsui would see the light."

"What do you mean, Ms. Darbus?" Sharpay asked turning back to the front, not liking too much attention being focused on someone other than her.

Ms. Darbus sighed. "I am told to remind everyone that there will be a Pepsi-Cola rally at the same time as the pairs auditions on Monday," Ms. Darbus explained, her face filled with disgust. "I will not reschedule the auditions since I reserved the time period during the last school year unlike that entitled Coach Bolton. So if you plan on being a part of this production, you better plan on missing this gratuitous celebration."

Gabriella turned to Troy, but he seemed unfazed by this announcement. Confused, Gabriella looked over at Taylor who picked up on Troy's lack of reaction. Raising an eyebrow, Taylor mouthed the words "let's talk about it later" to Gabriella.

Ryan stared worriedly at Gabriella. Would Troy sacrifice his basketball commitments for Gabriella? Ryan wondered if this time, the jock would finally come through for his girlfriend.

Ms. Darbus clapped her hands together to get the attention of the class. "Alright, please take out your copies of 'The Merchant of Venice.' Pair up in teams of two and read through the next act where we join a disguised Portia and Nerissa as they defend the men they love against the conniving Shylock."

The students in the room scattered. Gabriella went to join Troy, but he got up and sat across from Chad before she could say a word. Taylor, who spotted Troy, glared at him angrily and went to join her best friend.

Zeke quickly pulled his desk closer to Sharpay. Sharpay rolled her eyes, but decided that there was no one else she wanted to be partnered with anyway.

"Want to be my partner?" Ryan asked, leaning toward Kelsi.

Surprised, the brunette nodded with a grin. "Sure."

"I don't know about you, but I did this play when I was in eighth grade," Ryan explained.

Kelsi smiled. "Yeah, I read this in junior high too." Her eyes glittering, she asked, "So what did you need help with during free period?"

"Do you know Brittany?"

"She's one of the girls that follows Sharpay around, isn't she?"

"Yeah. She wants to try out for the musical, but she needs a little practice with her audition piece."

"And you want to help her?"

"You sound surprised."

"No, I just didn't know you were friends with her."

"I think the girl deserves a chance. It's about time one of them gets a chance to step out of Sharpay's shadow, don't you think?"

"What part is she trying out for?"

"I'm not sure. She just wants to be in the musical."

"Okay, no problem. I just have to check with Gabriella and Troy, because I think they wanted to rehearse today."

"Well, I should have guessed that I'd have to stand in line for East High's star pianist," Ryan laughed, patting Kelsi on the shoulder.

Kelsi blushed. "I'm the only pianist there is at East High, that's all. If we can't do it during free period, I have some time after school. Or this weekend. I also wouldn't mind missing math."

Ryan chuckled. "Thanks, Kelsi. You're the best," Ryan said, giving the small girl a hug.

Kelsi grinned, happy to help.

Across the room, Taylor was waving her hand in front of her best friend's eyes. "Gabriella?" she whispered. They had been reading the lines in their books, but Gabriella had suddenly stopped, causing Taylor to notice that her friend was distracted by something.

Gabriella snapped out of her trance and blushed profusely, embarrassed for being caught staring.

"Troy?" Taylor asked.

Gabriella bit her bottom lip. "Uh . . . yeah."

Unconvinced, Taylor turned her head to see what Gabriella had been staring at just moments before. She spotted Kelsi and Ryan whispering and joking about something in the corner. "RYAN?" Taylor gasped, completely confused.

"Shhhhh," Gabriella whispered quickly.

"Why are you staring at Ryan Evans?" Taylor demanded to know, her eyes growing wide with curiosity.

"I'm not!" Gabriella insisted.

"Then what had you so distracted that you didn't realize it was your turn to read?" Taylor retorted.

"It's just the whole thing with Troy," Gabriella lied. "I mean, if the pep rally is at the same time as our audition . . ."

"I know. Darbus is such a witch for putting you two in that position again," Taylor said angrily. "Do we need to bust out with some school alarm hacking again?"

Gabriella sighed sadly. "I don't even know if Troy still wants to try out."

Taylor groaned. "That boy has got you all twisted up in knots."

Gabriella frowned. "Things are just complicated."

Taylor shook her head. "No, honey, it's real simple. He doesn't show you respect or consideration. You deserve better."

Sharpay who was sitting nearby, listened with smug satisfaction. Troy and Gabriella were all but over. Glancing over at her brother, she smirked, an idea coming to her. Her hand shot up, waving furiously to catch Ms. Darbus' attention.

Ms. Darbus looked up from the romance novel she was reading. "What is it, Ms. Evans?"

"The Drama Club meeting is at lunch today and we need the tables from backstage," Sharpay explained.

Ms. Darbus nodded. "Well do we have two male volunteers to carry the tables from the auditorium?"

Chad and Troy both raised their hands, jumping at the opportunity to ditch English.

"I don't think so," Ms. Darbus shook her head. "Bolton, you can go, but both of you can't go together."

"Ryan, why don't you help? You are Co-President after all," Sharpay pointed out, grinning in her brother's direction.

Ryan glared at her.

"Great idea, Ms. Evans," Ms. Darbus nodded with approval. "Evans and Bolton, here are your hall passes. Be back here before the end of class."

Ryan and Troy both stood up and walked toward the teacher to get their passes. They looked at each other uncomfortably and headed toward the hallway.

The rest of the class stared after the pair, feeling the tension that was emitting from both of them. Things were about to get interesting.


	12. Being Noble

A/N: Oh my goodness, I am overwhelmed by the amazing response I've had to my first fan fic on You are all so incredibly sweet to take time out and leave me feedback and encouraging me. I really am trying to be true to the characters and make things as realistic as possible. I don't think I need to make Troy into some kind of out-of-control crazy person for Ryella to work. I hope you enjoy this chapter :) R&R!

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 12**

Kelsi got up from her seat to join Gabriella and Taylor. She had a bad feeling about Troy and Ryan being alone together.

Taylor looked over at Chad. He looked just as fearful as she did about what was going to happen.

Gabriella directed her attention to the cause of the situation. "Sharpay, why did you do that?"

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Do what?" she replied, acting oblivious.

"Don't play dumb," Gabriella snapped back.

"Although I am sure it comes naturally to you," Taylor interjected.

Sharpay glared at both of them, but a smile spread across her lips. "Hey, _I'm_ not the reason Troy Bolton wants to kill my brother. So if anything happens to occur while they are by themselves, it's on Gabriella."

"Don't you care about Ryan at all?!" Gabriella hissed.

"Apparently _you_ do," Sharpay proclaimed, tilting her head with a smug grin.

All eyes turned to Gabriella at that comment. Getting out of her seat, Gabriella was ready to slap the smug look off of Sharpay's face.

"Ms. Montez!" Ms. Darbus shouted. "Get back to your seat immediately."

Kelsi quickly pulled Gabriella back to her seat. "It's not worth it," Kelsi whispered to her friend.

"But I bet it'd feel good," Taylor commented.

Gabriella sat down but her eyes still blazed with anger.

Meanwhile, in the hallway, Troy and Ryan were walking toward the auditorium, a wide gap between them.

"So are you still going to try out for the musical?" Ryan asked, knowing he shouldn't but too concerned for Gabriella to hold back. After seeing the disappointment in her face when Ms. Darbus announced the pep rally and pairs audition conflict, he wanted to make sure that Troy would still be there for Gabriella.

"That's none of your business," Troy growled in reply.

"Gabriella is really looking forward to being a part of the musical," Ryan pointed out.

"Stop, Ryan," Troy said, irritation growing as he started walking faster. "You really don't want to keep talking right now."

Ryan could hear the warning in Troy's voice but for some reason he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Picking up speed to catch up with Troy, Ryan added, "She's going to be really disappointed if you don't try out with her."

"Ryan . . ." Troy warned him again.

"She really loves singing," Ryan continued. "She's so good at it, but it's easy to see how much she loves it too. She could be focused on Academic Decathlon or something else, but singing means a lot to her. She just lights up when she sings." By now he was just rambling.

Troy took a deep breath, feeling every nerve in his body tighten with anger.

"I mean even after the stuff that happened this summer, I am sure she still wants to audition with you," Ryan said, finally catching up with Troy.

"She's MY girlfriend," Troy said, nearly shouting and turning abruptly. Eye to eye with Ryan, Troy gritted out, "Stop acting like you know her better than I do!"

"Th-that's not what I'm doing," Ryan denied, sincerely surprised.

"Ryan, I can see exactly what you're doing," Troy argued. "I don't need you telling me how my girlfriend feels." He turned and started stomping toward the auditorium.

"Maybe if you paid attention to Gabriella I wouldn't have to."

Troy's head snapped back instantly. A thick tension enveloped the hallway.

As soon as the words went flying out of his mouth, Ryan regretted saying it. He had no idea what possessed him to make such an inflammatory statement and his face turned white realizing what he just did. He pinched himself, but unfortunately, this time it wasn't a dream. Looking up at Troy, he apologized sincerely, "Look, I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that. I am just trying to look out for Gabriella, that's all."

"Well, don't," Troy snarled. "I'm her boyfriend. I'll look out for her." Troy continued walking toward the auditorium, his hands tightened into fists, barely containing his anger.

Ryan stopped walking. "Troy, I am not going to go after Gabriella. We're just friends." He felt it had to be said.

Troy turned on his heel. "Do you think I'm stupid? I know you want Gabriella for yourself."

"Gabriella's a great girl but she's with you. She wants to be with you. I would never try to break you two up," Ryan said. "I want her to be happy."

"Don't try to act all noble, Evans," Troy said, the muscles in his neck tightening.

"If being noble means caring about Gabriella, it's not an act," Ryan replied softly.

Feeling his anger overcome his restraint, Troy shoved Ryan against the lockers.

The sound of Ryan's body banging against the lockers echoed down the hallway, causing a few classroom doors to fly open.

The sensation of pain running along his backside caused Ryan's sense of self control to snap. "So what if I did like Gabriella?" Ryan asked rhetorically. "She loves YOU, Bolton. She chose YOU."

Troy's jaw dropped, shocked at Ryan's nerve.

Ryan clenched his fists, frustrated that the most amazing girl he had ever met was with the most oblivious jock he had ever met. "She would break her own heart to make you happy. Do you even know what you have?" Ryan spat at Troy.

"I love Gabriella," Troy stated, his eyes ablaze with anger. "Don't pretend you know what Gabriella and I share."

"You treat her like you own her. She is the most talented, kind, beautiful and intelligent girl in the world and you don't even appreciate her!" Ryan shouted, feeling anger he didn't know he felt rise up in his voice.

Troy's eyes grew wide with rage. "I knew it! I knew you were after her the moment I saw you two at the country club," Troy stated fiercely, jabbing his finger against Ryan's chest.

"Maybe instead of being worried about me, you should give Gabriella the respect she deserves and quit going out with my sister," Ryan countered.

The classroom hallways started to fill with East High students who were curious about the confrontation.

Troy's eyes turned dark and his hands clenched tightly. Ryan was a dead man. Troy raised his fist but before he could act, he felt himself being pulled back by two guys.

"Troy, get yourself together, man," Chad said, dragging Troy away from Ryan.

"You need to chill," Jason agreed. He had heard the commotion outside his homeroom and was surprised to find the team captain ready to punch out the Drama Club Co-President.

Troy shoved off his two friends. Realizing he had an audience, he turned and stomped angrily down the hallway.

Gabriella pushed her way through the crowd even though she was afraid of what she might find. By the time she got into the hallway, Troy was gone and Ryan was standing alone near the lockers.

All eyes were focused on Ryan who was standing nervously with his hands in his pockets. He had been on stage many times, but for once he didn't want the attention.

"Ryan, what happened?" Chad asked.

Ryan sighed. "Nothing."

"Students! Students!" Ms. Darbus shouted, entering the hallway. "Back to your classrooms immediately or you will ALL be in detention."

The students who had gathered in the hallway quickly rushed into their respective classrooms, knowing that Ms. Darbus would carry through with her threat. Gabriella felt herself being pulled back towards homeroom, though she wanted to find out what had happened.

"Go help Troy get some tables from the auditorium," Chad instructed Jason.

Jason nodded and ran down the hallway towards the auditorium.

Chad threw his arm around Ryan and asked, "Are you okay, man?"

Ryan winced, causing Chad to drop his arm. "I'm fine," Ryan lied.

Chad shook his head. "It's really bad for your health to go after another guy's girl."

Ryan smirked. "I'm not after Gabriella. I just think she deserves better from Troy."

"Better _from_ Troy or better _than_ Troy?" Chad questioned.

"Gabriella loves him. Who can be better for her than the guy whom she loves?" Ryan asked with his signature smile plastered on his face.

The defeat in Ryan's eyes was not lost on Chad though. Chad threw up his hands. "Hey I don't pretend to understand women, but just like you and I, they don't always know what's best for them."

Ryan looked quizzically at Chad. "Not what I thought you were going to say."

Chad chuckled. "Troy is my best friend, but that doesn't mean I agree with everything he does. Maybe he and Gabriella just need some time apart. We're too young to be this serious anyway."

Ryan laughed. "Now that sounds more like you."

Just then the school bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom and the beginning of second period.

People started to leave Ms. Darbus' classroom just as Ryan and Chad made it back. Taylor looked questioningly at Chad, but he simply shook his head. Kelsi walked out, breathing a sigh of relief to see that Ryan was still intact. Sharpay left next, a satisfied grin on her face as she walked past her brother. She was followed by Zeke who gave Ryan a sympathetic smile before heading to his next class.

After the last few students left, each giving Ryan a token look of curiosity, Ryan and Chad walked into the room.

Ms. Darbus welcomed Ryan back with crossed arms and an angry glare over the top rim of her glasses. "I hope this behavior does not repeat itself, Mr. Evans."

"Of course not, Ms. Darbus," Ryan replied quickly.

Ms. Darbus gave Ryan a look of skepticism, but gathered her things and got up from her desk. She walked toward the door, but not before whispering to Ryan, "I hope you got in a good one for the Drama Club." Winking, she left the classroom.

Ryan's jaw dropped, surprised by Ms. Darbus' reaction.

Chad looked at Ryan and shrugged, not even attempting to figure out the drama teacher. He grabbed his bag and got up to leave, but noticed that Gabriella was still in the room. He was unsure whether to leave Ryan alone with Gabriella or not. Time alone might escalate the already volatile situation between Troy and Ryan. However, as the warning bell rang, Chad knew he couldn't be late to his next class. "See you later," he said to Ryan as he left hesitantly. Patting his friend's shoulder, he whispered, "Good luck."

Ryan nodded and watched Chad disappear into the hallway.

"What happened?" Gabriella asked as soon as Chad was gone.

"Nothing," Ryan smiled. "Troy and I were just having a debate about whether Sharpay or Darbus was more delusional." Ryan laughed uncomfortably, getting his bag from behind his seat.

Gabriella ran up to him and grabbed his shoulder, stopping him from leaving. "Don't joke about this, Ryan. Tell me what happened."

Ryan winced from the pressure on his bruised shoulder, but he forced his face to relax before turning to face Gabriella. "Really, it was nothing," Ryan insisted. "You should go."

Gabriella shook her head. "No, Ryan. If Troy did something to you, I want to know."

Ryan smiled softly, amazed at the kindness in her voice. "Look, Gabriella. Troy doesn't like me. We both know that."

"Did he hurt you?" Gabriella asked, a soft expression in her eyes.

"No, I'm fine," Ryan lied. Standing up tall as proof, he stated, "See?"

Gabriella eyed him skeptically.

Ryan shrugged. "I have to go or I'll be late for class."

Gabriella sighed, knowing that he was hiding something from her. Giving him one last glance, she said, "I'll see you later." Clutching her book, she walked past him and left the room.

Ryan took a deep breath and let it out, relieved that Gabriella couldn't see the guilty look on his face. Troy was right. He did want Gabriella for himself. He just had to figure out how to stop.


	13. Crossed Some Borderline

A/N: Thanks for continuing to read. Hope you like this one!

ETA: The song below is "As Long As You're Mine" from Wicked

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 13**

It had been two hours since the big basketball star versus Broadway star throwdown. It was free period and students were scattered across the school, making use of the free time by gossiping about the confrontation between Troy Bolton and Ryan Evans. Some said the fight was over the lead role in the winter musical. Some said it was over a stolen parking space that morning. Some said that Ryan wouldn't give Troy his lunch money. Some even said the fight was over Sharpay Evans (where that rumor came from was anyone's guess). None of them guessed the real reason.

The real reason was walking through the hallways in search of her boyfriend. Gabriella had been worried about Troy and Ryan during both of her morning classes. She needed to find out what really happened. Spotting Troy outside the basketball gym, she went quickly towards him.

Troy was dribbling his basketball but stopped when he heard Gabriella's approach. "Gabriella," he acknowledged.

"Troy, what happened today during homeroom?" Gabriella asked, getting straight to the point.

"What did Ryan tell you?" Troy frowned.

"Nothing," Gabriella replied.

Troy's face softened. "We just got into an argument."

"About me?" Gabriella asked, though she knew the answer.

"Gabriella," Troy said, stopping with a sigh. "You know I don't like you hanging out with that guy. He just said some things and I guess I lost control."

"D-did you hurt Ryan?" Gabriella questioned, worry causing her voice to tremble .

Troy picked up on her concern and his first instinct was to be angry, but he stopped himself. "I pushed him against the lockers," he confessed.

Gabriella's face fell. "Troy, he's my friend. How many times do I have to say it? You can't just go around attacking people for being friends with me."

"He was pushing my buttons," Troy argued.

"I told you that you have nothing to worry about," Gabriella reminded Troy, upset that he had attacked Ryan.

"I don't trust him!" Troy shouted.

"Why? What has he done to you?" Gabriella yelled back.

Troy clenched his fists. "He is after you Gabriella. If you heard what he said—"

Gabriella raised her hand to stop him. "Let's not have the same argument again, okay?"

Troy gritted his teeth but said nothing.

"Do you want to go rehearse with Kelsi?" Gabriella suggested, though her heart wasn't in it.

Troy peered down at her. Rubbing his arm, he shook his head. "I should probably go practice for the big game next week," he said.

Gabriella nodded, her face showing no disappointment. She turned to leave, but Troy grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Are we okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked up at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. "Yeah," she answered. "I'll see you later?"

Troy smiled sadly. "Sure. I'll see you later."

Gabriella watched as Troy jogged into the gym, disappearing from sight. She recognized the hollowness in the pit of her stomach expanding. Every single day seemed to add greater distance between her and Troy.

Turning around, Gabriella proceeded toward the music room to let Kelsi know that practice was cancelled. As she walked, she mulled over what Troy had told her. What could Ryan have possibly said to set Troy off?

In the distance, Gabriella could hear the familiar notes of her audition piece, "As Long As You're Mine," wafting through the hallway. She walked faster toward the music room. Proceeding through the door, Gabriella announced to Kelsi, "We're not going to have practice today after all. Troy---"

Kelsi suddenly stopped playing and looked up at the brunette.

Gabriella's hand was frozen on the doorknob, her grip tightening. She had walked in to see Ryan and Brittany holding hands and gazing at each other in front of Kelsi's piano. Breaking from her state of shock, Gabriella quickly apologized, "Oh, I am so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." Gabriella's face was filled with embarrassment as she tripped over her own feet trying to get out of the room, though she knew not the cause of her own distress.

Ryan quickly ran to Gabriella and grabbed her hand, stopping her from leaving. "We were just practicing," he explained.

"I-I know. I'll leave you two alone to practice," Gabriella stammered. She noticed, but tried to ignore, the way her hand tingled from the contact.

Brittany could feel the tension from across the room. Remembering how Sharpay had treated her that morning and how kind Ryan had been to her, she decided that she had quite enough of being Sharpay's lapdog. "You should stay," Brittany said, stepping toward the pair. "I could use a little help with my audition piece . . . a lot of help, actually." Brittany blushed and giggled out of nervousness.

Ryan looked at Gabriella, begging, "Please?"

Gabriella broke into a smile, unable to say 'no' to the puppy dog eyes Ryan was giving her. "I don't know how I could help," she said, turning toward Brittany.

"Maybe if I heard you sing the song with Ryan, I'd get a better idea on how to improve," Brittany suggested.

Kelsi looked at the blonde girl in surprise. What was she doing?

"I've never sung with Ryan before," Gabriella said shyly. "It might not sound right."

"If I can sing with Sharpay, I am sure I can sing with you," Ryan laughed. He was so happy that Brittany had made the suggestion, he could kiss the girl.

"I guess," Gabriella said hesitantly.

"Let's just try it," Kelsi said, catching onto Brittany's plan. She had watched enough singers to know that things tended to come out in song that normally wouldn't come out. If Ryan and Gabriella sang together, then she would know for sure if her advice to Troy had been wrong.

Brittany took a seat in the middle of the room as Kelsi gathered her sheet music.

Gabriella put down her bag. Ryan held out his hand and Gabriella took it hesitantly, unsure of what she had gotten herself into.

Kelsi began to play the first few notes, nodding her head with the music.

Gabriella had sung this song so many times with Troy, but for some reason her heart was pounding a million beats a minute this time. It wasn't quite nervousness or fear. It was more like anticipation.

Gabriella finally found the nerve to look at Ryan. She took a deep breath as the words she knew by heart seemed to take on new meaning.

_GABRIELLA:_  
_Kiss me too fiercely_  
_Hold me too tight_  
_I need help believing_  
_You're with me tonight_

Gabriella looked away shyly, embarrassed by the lyrics of the song. Ryan raised his hand to comfort her, but stopped when he realized he was overstepping. Gabriella looked at him softly, her eyes giving him permission to continue. Ryan hesitantly reached up and softly squeezed her hand. That simple gesture let her know everything was okay as she continued singing.

_GABRIELLA:_  
_My wildest dreamings_  
_Could not foresee_  
_Lying beside you_  
_With you wanting me_

Gabriella's eyes were locked with Ryan's. She suddenly felt like she couldn't look away even if her life depended on it.

Kelsi stared wide-eyed at the pair, feeling the electricity in the room intensify with each note. She had never seen Gabriella look at Troy like that before and she had seen them in a lot of practices. Kelsi couldn't help thinking that when she was wrong, she was _really_ wrong.

_GABRIELLA:_  
_And just for this moment_  
_As long as you're mine_  
_I've lost all resistance_  
_And crossed some border line_

Gabriella pulled back from Ryan a little, realizing that the words she just sang rang too true for her. What was she doing? Ryan was her friend. Her heart shouldn't be pounding this hard and the words shouldn't be flowing so naturally from her lips.

Brittany smiled at the two in front of her, glad that her prediction had been correct. Sharpay didn't know what she was messing with.

Ryan smiled at Gabriella and lifted her chin, giving her a reassuring smile. It was the encouragement that she needed to keep singing.

_GABRIELLA:_  
_And if it turns out_  
_It's over too fast_  
_I'll make every last moment last_  
_As long as you're mine_

As the low note rumbled in Gabriella's throat, Ryan could feel the chills racing up his arms. He didn't want to, but he couldn't help imagining that she was really singing those words for him. It was wrong, this was all wrong, but he would pretend it wasn't . . . just for this moment. He looked down at her and smiled as he began singing his part.

_RYAN:_  
_Maybe I'm brainless_  
_Maybe I'm wise_  
_But you've got me seeing_  
_Through different eyes_

Gabriella gazed at Ryan, her face showing that she was trying to figure him out. What was it that was making her stomach do somersaults?

Ryan blinked, wondering if this was real. Was he really singing with Gabriella? Feeling her hand touch his arm, he realized that it was real. He knew the next words were straight from his heart.

_RYAN:_  
_Somehow I've fallen_  
_Under your spell_  
_And somehow I'm feeling_  
_It's 'up' that I fell_

Gabriella and Ryan both took a deep breath, their hearts pounding at an increasing rate. Singing in unison, their voices seemed to melt together.

_GABRIELLA & RYAN:_  
_Every moment_  
_As long as you're mine_  
_I'll wake up my body_  
_And make up for lost time_

Ryan looked adoringly at Gabriella, pouring his heart into his words.

_RYAN:_  
_Say there's no future_  
_For us as a pair_

Gabriella's eyes twinkled as her voice joined with his.

_GABRIELLA & RYAN:_  
_And though I may know_  
_I don't care_

The power in their voices rose as the song gained momentum.

_GABRIELLA & RYAN:_  
_Just for this moment_  
_As long as you're mine_  
_Come be how you want to_  
_And see how bright we shine_  
_Borrow the moonlight_  
_Until it is through_

The chilling blend of their voices gave both Kelsi and Brittany goosebumps. Separately, Gabriella and Ryan were so talented, but together . . . it was like someone had lit a stick of dynamite.

_GABRIELLA & RYAN:_  
_And know I'll be here holding you_  
_As long as you're mine_

As their voices grew softer, their gaze grew more intense until anyone could hear a pin drop amidst the silence.

Brittany stood up and clapped enthusiastically, breaking their trance. "Oh my gosh, you guys are so amazing!" Turning to Kelsi, she asked, "Weren't they just awesome?"

Kelsi nodded her head, speechless. There was no way she could tell Troy that Ryan and Gabriella were just friends now.

"D-Did that help?" Gabriella asked Brittany, tearing herself away from Ryan.

Brittany giggled. "Well now I am even more certain I can't compete with you. Your voice is so beautiful, ESPECIALLY when you're singing with Ryan. You two should totally get the lead parts. You're trying out together, right?"

Ryan shook his head immediately. "Oh, no. Gabriella's trying out with Troy."

Brittany frowned. "But you have a way better voice than Troy Bolton," she said to Ryan, pouting.

Ryan blushed. "Thanks, but we just have different styles, that's all."

Gabriella was still recovering from the experience. "I-I have to go," she said abruptly, feeling her instinct to run away kick in.

"No, you should keep practicing. Just because Troy isn't here doesn't mean you can't practice for the auditions," Brittany said.

Gabriella looked confused. "But what about you?"

"Oh, um, I have to go find Buffy. I promise I'd go to her place to bake some cupcakes for Sharpay," Brittany lied. Grabbing her bag, she gave a cheeky grin and waved goodbye before racing out of the room.

Kelsi smirked. _That was subtle_, she thought sarcastically to herself.

Gabriella looked bewildered and turned to Ryan. Giving him a dimpled smile, she asked, "What just happened?"

Feeling relaxed by Gabriella's light tone, Ryan chuckled. "I don't know what power Sharpay has over those girls, but she has them well-trained."

"Well, I should go," Gabriella said. "You probably want to practice before your solo audition."

Ryan was about to say something but was interrupted by Kelsi. "Actually, I have to get going. I've already missed Chemistry three times this week. I should probably show up today," Kelsi said.

"Are you sure?" Ryan asked.

Kelsi nodded. Gathering her things, she quietly got up and left the room. Secretly, she knew she had no reason to go to Chemistry class today. Not with Ryan and Gabriella around.

"Where are you headed now?" Ryan inquired, turning towards Gabriella.

"I should probably go find Taylor," Gabriella answered.

Ryan tried his best to hide his disappointment. "I guess I'll see you later then."

Gabriella nodded and turned to leave. She stopped when realized she had something to say. Turning to face Ryan, she informed him, "Troy told me what happened. Are you okay?"

Ryan shrugged. "I'm fine. A little dented, but fine."

Gabriella reached out to comfort him, but when her hand touched his shoulder, Ryan flinched, causing Gabriella to gasp. "Are you still hurt?" Gabriella asked. Before Ryan could answer, she added, "Tell me the truth, Ryan."

Ryan gave a shy smile. "It's just a little bruised, that's all. No big deal."

"I can't believe him! It's so stupid!" Gabriella exclaimed, throwing up her hands. "What could you have possibly said that made him think it was okay to attack you?"

Ryan felt guilty. If he told Gabriella what he'd said, she might figure out how he felt about her. He didn't want to ruin their friendship. Not when he was fighting so hard to stop whatever was causing the butterflies in his stomach. "It's okay. I don't blame Troy. He cares about you."

"I don't want someone to care about me like that. He can't go around picking on any guy who comes near me," Gabriella replied.

"I think it's more than that," Ryan said, defending Troy.

Gabriella turned to face Ryan. "What is it, then?"

"Look, Gabriella, maybe we shouldn't go on that date tomorrow," Ryan said, knowing it was the right thing to do, but hating having to say it.

"No way," Gabriella replied. "I'm not going to let him think that he can intimidate my friends and make them stay away from me just because he's paranoid."

Ryan smiled. He admired Gabriella's strength and independence. He wanted to keep fighting her on this, but he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted to protect himself from whatever growing feelings he had for her, he knew she would be hurt if he did. "Okay, then I guess I'll see you tomorrow in homeroom?"

Gabriella nodded. "See you, Ryan."

Ryan grabbed his things and left, leaving Gabriella alone with her thoughts. Gabriella picked up her bag and her books. As she did, she remembered her reactions while singing that song with Ryan.

Squeezing her books closer to her chest, Gabriella had a terrifying realization. She liked Ryan. No, she _liked_ liked Ryan. "Oh no," she whispered to herself.


	14. Happy Birthday

A/N: Thanks for hanging in there. I have been really busy studying for finals. Hope you enjoy this! I will try to be better about updates over break. R&R!**  
**

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 14**

The "It's Friday" jitters could be felt throughout the homeroom class. People were busy chatting about their plans for the weekend instead of discussing "The Merchant of Venice."

"So I was thinking we could go shopping tomorrow," Taylor suggested to Gabriella.

Gabriella smiled knowingly. "You mean to distract me from the fact that Troy is going on a date with Sharpay?"

Taylor grinned. "Of course."

"It's a deal," Gabriella agreed. She needed a distraction and not just regarding the Troy/Sharpay situation. Throughout homeroom, she had been trying her best to avoid Ryan, but it was hard when he was sitting just a few seats behind Taylor.

Taylor wasn't oblivious to Gabriella's preoccupation with the boy behind her. "Where are you and Ryan going on your date?" Taylor asked nonchalantly.

Gabriella looked at Taylor with surprise. "Oh, um, I don't know. He didn't tell me." Biting her lip, she asked nervously, "Do you think it's wrong that I'm going on this date? Troy's so jealous of Ryan. Maybe it's not fair to him." Her guilt had been growing since yesterday afternoon's revelation.

"Please! That lughead needs a wake up call," Taylor said bluntly. "If he's going out with Sharpay, I say 'all's fair in love and war.'"

Gabriella frowned. "But do two wrongs make a right?"

Taylor looked at her friend closely. "This is really up to you, girl. If you don't feel right doing it, you shouldn't . . . even if I think Troy Boy deserves it after this summer."

"I'm not doing it to get back at him," Gabriella insisted.

"Then why _are_ you doing it?" Taylor asked.

Gabriella considered the question carefully. "Probably because Troy doesn't want me to and I don't want to let him think he can control my choices."

"And the other reason?" Taylor prodded.

"What other reason?" Gabriella questioned, confused.

"You said _probably_. 'Probably' indicates doubt, which means that you think there is another reason why you're going," Taylor said. "So spill," she commanded.

Gabriella didn't even realize she had said it, but she suspected she knew the cause of the Freudian slip. Shaking her head, she lied, "Well, I made a promise. I don't want to back out on Ryan." Gabriella intentionally left out the part about Ryan offering to cancel the date.

Taylor nodded, accepting that answer because she knew how important keeping promises were to Gabriella.

In the back of the room, Ryan was doing his best to deny his feelings too. "I think she's really good, don't you?" Ryan asked Kelsi.

"Who?" Kelsi replied.

"Brittany," Ryan answered, raising an eyebrow. Kelsi had been acting weird all morning. "Who else would I be talking about?"

"Gabriella," Kelsi suggested, tired of dancing around the issue.

"Well, Gabriella's good too, of course," Ryan replied, oblivious to Kelsi's intentions.

"Gabriella is a much better singer than Brittany, though, don't you think?" Kelsi said, hoping to get Ryan to admit he liked Gabriella as more than a friend.

"Well, I think Brittany could do a great job as Nessa Rose or Madam Morrible," Ryan noted, still not taking the hint.

Kelsi nodded with a sigh. Boys could be so stupid sometimes. She was about to continue her line of questioning, but she was a bit distracted by the fact that Gabriella kept looking over at the two of them.

"I think if we keep working with her, she'll improve a lot," Ryan said. "She has some natural talent, she just needs some fine-tuning. Maybe if we work this weekend with her audition piece and let her practice her vocal exercises with---"

"So do you like Gabriella or what?" Kelsi blurted out in a not-so-quiet whisper, interrupting Ryan's rambling. She immediately blushed, shocked at her outburst.

Ryan's jaw dropped, taken completely by surprise by Kelsi's question. "Uh . . ."

"Sorry," Kelsi apologized. "I am so sorry. I don't know why I just said that."

Ryan looked up at Gabriella, but she was deep in conversation with Taylor. She must not have heard Kelsi. "Why-why did you just ask me that?" he whispered to Kelsi.

Kelsi adjusted her glasses and tried avoiding Ryan's curious gaze. "Well, after hearing you and Gabriella sing together and seeing the way you were looking at her . . ."

"Is it that obvious?" Ryan asked, looking nervous.

Kelsi smiled. "Yeah," she said, breaking it to him gently. "When you two were singing together, it was hard to miss."

Great. Now all he had to do was avoid singing with Gabriella. Then maybe this whole thing would go away. "Please don't tell anyone," Ryan begged.

Kelsi looked at Ryan with confusion. "Who would I tell?"

"Taylor, Jason . . . TROY," Ryan replied.

Kelsi blushed, realizing Ryan was right. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."

"It's pretty dumb, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"This whole thing. It's not like I have a chance. She's dating Troy, the basketball team captain."

"And you're the Drama Club Co-President."

"Come on, you know what I mean."

"Not all girls are into jocks."

"Oh really? Who are you dating again?"

"I'm not dating Jason because he's a basketball player!" Kelsi insisted.

"But that's part of the draw, isn't it?" Ryan asked.

"Not really. In fact, sometimes I wish he wasn't on the team. It's intimidating dating a basketball player," Kelsi admitted. Kelsi looked at Ryan sympathetically. "Do you think what you're feeling is dumb because she's with someone or because you think you're not good enough for her?"

"Both." Ryan sighed, stealing a glance at Gabriella. This was hopeless.

Gabriella, unaware of Ryan and Kelsi's conversation, was doing her best to block out her disturbing thoughts of Ryan. She looked over at Troy who was talking with Chad. Things between her and Troy seemed to get back to normal this morning, but it was still tense. Scanning the room, trying to look anywhere but at Ryan, she spotted Ms. Darbus flipping through a paperback with a bare-chested pirate on the cover. Figures. She continued her gaze toward Zeke who seemed to be hanging on to every word Sharpay was saying to him. That boy was lovesick.

"Earth to Gabriella! Anyone there?" Taylor said, waving her hand in front of Gabriella's face.

"Oh, sorry," Gabriella apologized.

"You're really out of it lately," Taylor observed. "Is everything okay?"

Gabriella nodded. "No, I'm fine."

Taylor raised an eyebrow, not persuaded by Gabriella's reassurances. "Is this about the pairs audition?"

"Oh shoot!" Gabriella exclaimed. During all the drama the day before, she had forgotten to discuss the scheduling conflict with Troy.

"What? What is it?" Taylor asked.

"I didn't talk to Troy about what we're going to do about the pep rally," Gabriella explained.

"But it's on Monday!" Taylor replied.

Uncertain of whether to confront Troy about the auditions considering the tension between them, Gabriella's gaze subconsciously drifted to Ryan. Looking back at Taylor, she tried to shake off her desire to seek out Ryan's advice. Since when had Ryan become her personal advisor?

"I'm sure it won't be a problem," Taylor said, though she didn't sound her usual confident self.

Gabriella nodded. Suddenly, the bell rang and the students gathered up their belongings and headed out to their next class. Before Gabriella could get his attention, Troy had left with Chad to his second period class.

"Hey Gabriella," a voice called out to Gabriella from behind.

Gabriella twirled around to find Ryan standing behind her, his signature lopsided smile directed at her. "Oh, hey Ryan," Gabriella greeted, surprised by the shyness in her voice.

"Taylor, will you walk with me to my next class?" Kelsi asked, pulling Taylor towards the door.

Taylor gave Kelsi a confused look but followed the shorter girl out into the hallway.

"I just wanted to make sure you remembered our date tonight," Ryan said, though the excuse to talk to Gabriella rang hollow in his ears.

Gabriella grinned. "I can't wait," she admitted.

Ryan gave her a nod and walked toward the door, but was stopped by the feel of her hand on his shoulder.

"Wait," Gabriella said. "I got something for you."

Ryan turned around and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Something for me?"

Gabriella pulled a blue box from her backpack and handed it to Ryan. "It's nothing big . . ." she explained.

"What is this for?" Ryan questioned, trying his best to hide the elation in his voice.

"Your birthday," Gabriella said matter-of-factly. "I wanted to give it to you tonight, but I couldn't wait."

Ryan could swear Gabriella was blushing, but that didn't make any sense. "Do you want me to open it?" he asked.

Gabriella smiled. "It's up to you."

"Wait, how did you know?" Ryan asked, stuck in a state of awe.

"You said it was Sharpay's birthday tomorrow and I remember you telling me that even though you're twins, you were born at 11:59 and she was born at 12:01," Gabriella reminded him. "That would make today your birthday."

Ryan held the box in his hands and stared at it for longer than necessary.

"It's not going to bite," Gabriella chuckled.

Ryan blushed straight to his ears. Hands shaking slightly, he pulled back the blue wrapping paper. He opened the lid of the box underneath and when he saw what was inside, his eyes danced with joy.

"Do-do you like it?" Gabriella asked softly.

Ryan put it down and threw his arms around Gabriella. "It's the best present ever!"

Gabriella laughed, but the happy relief she was feeling was quickly muffled by the overwhelming awareness of having Ryan's arms around her.

"I was thinking of joining the baseball team in the spring," Ryan explained, releasing her and grabbing the baseball mitt. He put the glove on and tossed the baseball back and forth between his hands. "This will be great for practicing."

Gabriella felt a warm, satisfying feeling from seeing the beaming smile on Ryan's face. "Happy Birthday, Ryan."

Ryan looked up, knowing that this was going to be the best birthday he'd ever have. "Thanks, Gabriella."

The second bell rang, alerting them to their next class. Gabriella picked up her things and smiled at Ryan. "I'll see you after school?"

Ryan nodded. "Just remember to bring comfortable shoes."

"If it's your birthday, why am I the one being surprised?" Gabriella teased him.

Ryan's nose wrinkled as he smiled. "Don't worry, it'll be a good one."

Gabriella nodded and left for her next class, the fluttering in her stomach rapidly reaching epic proportions.


	15. Blue Flowers

A/N: Thanks for sticking with me on this story. Hope you like this one!**  
**

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 15**

Ryan must have driven past the Montez house four times before he had the courage to pull up to the driveway. He had done his best to psych himself up, but he had failed miserably. Sweaty hands, dry throat, twitchiness . . . he felt like a teenager on his first date. Oh wait.

Turning off the engine, Ryan shakily pulled out the keys and stuffed them in his pockets. He took one last glance in the rearview mirror to assess his appearance. He had managed to ditch Sharpay at home despite her constant pestering regarding his date with Gabriella. Unfortunately, that meant he had little time to pick out the perfect outfit for this rendezvous. Adjusting his hat, he stepped out of the car and shut the door behind him. That's when the realization that he was going on a date with Gabriella Montez hit him.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Mrs. Montez was busy cleaning the last of the dishes, her watchful eye observing the scene outside her window.

"Gabriella!" Mrs. Montez shouted to her daughter.

"Is he here?" Gabriella asked anxiously as she jogged down the stairs.

Mrs. Montez smiled, putting away the last glass. "Well, he finally pulled into the driveway at least." She turned toward the pile of laundry she needed to start folding.

Gabriella quickly caught her breath as she landed on the bottom stair. "How do I look? Should I change?" she asked, eyeing the sweater her mother was folding.

Mrs. Montez laughed, shaking her head at her daughter. "Now, I thought you said this boy was just a friend," she teased.

"He is," Gabriella replied, surprise in her voice. "We're just going out as friends."

"I haven't seen you so frantic before, hija," Mrs. Montez observed, a skeptical look in her eye.

"I am just nervous, that's all," Gabriella explained. "I guess I've never really hung out with Ryan like this. Technically, this is a date, but . . . I don't know, it's just strange."

"If he's the good friend that you keep telling me he is, I am sure you will have a good time," Mrs. Montez said supportively. "And it won't matter what you look like."

"He's a great friend," Gabriella said wistfully. "You'll like him a lot, I know it."

"If he makes my daughter smile like that, I am sure I will," Mrs. Montez said cheerily.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Gabriella started for the door, but then stopped. Turning to look at her mother, her eyes looked uneasy. She headed for the door again, but stalled when she reached the door knob. Giving her body a shake, she tried to get rid of the tension that was filling her limbs. She had no idea why she was so nervous. It was getting to the point of ridiculousness.

Gabriella jumped when the doorbell rang for the second time. Mrs. Montez, taking pity on her daughter, reached for the door and opened it.

"Mrs. Montez," Ryan greeted, giving a bow.

Mrs. Montez stared at him in surprise. What a strange boy. "You must be Ryan."

"Indeed I am," Ryan smiled. "I came to pick up Gabriella. Is she here?"

Mrs. Montez was surprised when she turned and found her daughter hiding in the kitchen. "Oh, she should be down in a minute," she replied.

"I just want to assure you that I will have her back by ten. I am a very good driver. I've had my license for almost a year now and I have a clean record. I won't go over the speed limit and I promise that I am taking Gabriella to a very safe place," Ryan said quickly.

Mrs. Montez chuckled at Ryan's nervous disclaimer. "I trust you will be very careful with my daughter, young man."

"Oh, hi Ryan," Gabriella greeted as she stepped out from the kitchen.

Ryan's eyes lit up when he saw her approaching and his breath caught in his throat. He could have sworn it wasn't possible, but Gabriella looked even prettier than she usually did. "You look . . . amazing."

Gabriella bit her bottom lip nervously. Gazing down at her jeans and velour jacket, she didn't see anything special, but something in Ryan's voice made her think he was right.

Mrs. Montez winked at her daughter reassuringly. "Well, you two better get going."

"Oh, right," Gabriella stammered, grabbing her bag. Giving her mother a peck on the cheek, she said softly, "Bye, Mom."

Mrs. Montez watched while Ryan walked toward his car with Gabriella following closely behind. She smiled as she saw Ryan fiddle with his keys, unsure of what to do with his hands.

Ryan quickly walked to the passenger door and opened it for Gabriella. Gabriella blushed and said "thanks" as she slipped into the car. Ryan shut the door and rolled his eyes at himself for being so old-fashioned.

The car ride started off tense. The silence was making both of them uncomfortable until finally Ryan turned on the radio.

"So where are we going?" Gabriella asked, her hands folded in her lap.

"It's a surprise," Ryan smiled.

"So you're not going to tell me until we get there?" Gabriella pressed on.

"I won't have to tell you, I think you'll figure it out," Ryan said, giving her a knowing wink. Inside, he was a bundle of nerves. Would she like it? Would she think it was silly? Even worse, would she think it was weird and run screaming in the other direction?

"You're being very mysterious, Evans. Very unlike you," Gabriella teased him.

"Hey, Montez, you don't know everything about me. A guy has to have some secrets," Ryan joked.

Gabriella felt herself relax as they fell back into their usual banter. For the next twenty minutes they discussed their favorite Broadway productions, their future colleges and their shared love of pineapples and the oft forgotten fruit, tomatoes.

Finally, they pulled into a massive parking lot filled with cars, most of them minivans.

"Where are we?" Gabriella asked as Ryan turned off the engine of his car.

"Salt Rock Recreational Park," Ryan answered. He opened his door and quickly went around to the passenger's side to open Gabriella's door.

"I've never been here," Gabriella said, stepping out of the car, looking around with wonder. Unfortunately, there were no clues as to why Ryan had brought her there.

"Well, then, let me be your tour guide," Ryan said, gesturing to the park. Offering the crook of his arm, Ryan led Gabriella across the parking lot towards the park.

Ryan turned to her and smiled. "Okay, before we go in, I have to make sure your cell phone is off. They have very strict rules about this," Ryan said, intentionally being vague.

Gabriella laughed, taking out her phone. "Yes, sir," she replied, giving him a mock salute. That was when she realized that she had four missed calls.

Noticing the look on Gabriella's face, Ryan inquired, "What's wrong?"

Gabriella's arm dropped from Ryan's. "Is it okay if I make a quick call?" Gabriella asked, an apologetic look on her face.

"No, go ahead," Ryan said.

Gabriella took a few steps back toward the car and dialed. Ryan remained at the edge of the parking lot, hands in his pockets as he observed her from afar. Something was wrong. He could see it in her eyes.

Gabriella was far away enough that Ryan couldn't make out who she was calling or what she was saying, but he saw that she was getting increasingly upset. Her voice was raised and she was making gestures indicating that she was fighting with someone. After a few minutes, he saw her slam her cell phone shut and walk back towards him.

"I'm sorry about that," Gabriella said, a smile plastered on her face. "Ready to go?"

Ryan nodded, trying hard to let Gabriella think that he didn't notice how upset she was.

Ryan strutted towards the lawn, his hands in his pockets. Unfortunately, he let his concern get the best of him. Turning towards Gabriella, he stopped. "Is everything okay?"

Gabriella shook her head. "It's nothing. Troy just wanted to see if I wanted to rehearse tomorrow morning, that's all."

Ryan spotted a sad smile on Gabriella's face and a distant look in her eyes, surely remnants of her argument with Troy. His eyebrows knitted together, concerned for her. "Gabriella, if it bothers you to be here, we can just take a raincheck."

Gabriella snapped out of her daze. Looking at Ryan, she saw the kindness in his eyes and it bothered her that she was ruining their date. "No, I want to be here," she said, though her voice wasn't so convincing.

"No, really. I wouldn't be offended," Ryan insisted.

"No, Ryan, I really do want to be here," Gabriella replied, this time sounding a little surer of herself. She let her arm slip through his and pulled him forward toward the park. Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of something over the top of the hill. "Wait . . . what's that?"

Ryan glanced at Gabriella, a grin spreading across his face. "It's the surprise." He followed as she walked quickly toward the center of the park.

Just beyond where they were standing, Gabriella could see a huge crowd spread out across bottom of the grassy hill. A gigantic screen stood in the center and an orchestra sat at the base of it. Her eyes grew wide with wonder as she saw little children running around in matching outfits, random groups of nuns walking past them and many, many women in short blonde wigs. "Ryan, this isn't—"

Ryan laughed, "Welcome to The Sound of Music . . . or the sing-along version anyway."

"Oh my goodness, I've always wanted to go to one of these!" Gabriella exclaimed, looking excitedly at the crowd.

"Really?" Ryan said, incredulous. "This isn't the cheesiest date you've ever been on?"

"NO!" Gabriella squealed, all shadows in her expression dispelled by the joy of her surroundings. "Oh, look at those kids! They are so cute!"

Ryan laughed, catching sight of one little boy with his lederhosen hanging off of his diaper. Ryan was so glad to see Gabriella smiling, that he almost didn't realize she had grabbed hold of his arm and was pulling him toward the crowd.

"Look at all these people," Gabriella smiled. "How did you find out about this?"

"One of my friends at the local theatre told me about it," Ryan explained.

"There's local theatre in Albuquerque?" Gabriella asked, surprised.

Ryan chuckled. "Yes, of course. Where do you think Sharpay and I got our start?"

Gabriella gazed at Ryan, admiration in her eyes. "I just thought you did school plays." Turning around, her eyes taking in the sights, Gabriella was just in awe. "This is just amazing." Gabriella began walking down the hill, but was stopped when she felt Ryan's hand grasp hers.

"I almost forgot," Ryan said, pulling something out of his pocket.

Gabriella gazed down at Ryan's hand as he held it out for her. Resting in his palm was a silver chain with charms dangling from them. As she looked closer, she noticed they were blue flowers.

"I was going to get a corsage, but the florist didn't have any blue flowers," Ryan explained.

Gabriella took the bracelet from him and looked at it with wonder. "Why blue flowers?"

"Because blue is your favorite color," Ryan answered.

"Wait, how did you know?" Gabriella asked, looking at him with surprise.

Ryan smiled. "Because all of last year, the only color you'd wear was baby blue."

Gabriella blushed. "I guess it is my favorite color." Still staring at the bracelet, she commented, "You really didn't have to get me this, Ryan."

"I-I understand if you don't want it," Ryan said. Maybe he had overstepped that "friend" line again.

"No, no, it's not that. It's beautiful," Gabriella said, her eyes sparkling.

"I wanted to thank you for going on this date with me and for bidding on me in the auction," Ryan explained.

"Will you put it on for me?" Gabriella said, holding out the bracelet in one hand and offering her wrist to him with the other.

Ryan took the bracelet and unfastened it. Wrapping it around Gabriella's delicate wrist, his hand brushed against her skin and he had to force his hands not to shake. Linking the clasp back together, he let go of the bracelet and it dangled from Gabriella's wrist.

"It's a perfect fit," Gabriella observed.

Smiling, Ryan took her by the hand and led her down to the crowd where an empty picnic table was waiting for them.


	16. Moonlight

A/N: Sorry for the record-breaking hiatus. I wanted to continue this story for those of you who have been leaving reviews. I am honored that you have stuck with this story. I appreciate every single one of your reviews. Thank you so much and I hope to finish this story for all of you who are still with me.

**Highest Bidder - Chapter 16**

Ryan and Gabriella sat side by side on a picnic table, overlooking the crowd in front of them. To anyone who didn't know them, they looked like the perfect couple. Their arms were linked with Gabriella's head tilted slightly toward Ryan's shoulder. Whenever a funny part would come up, she'd giggle and he would glance over at her with laughing eyes. She would whisper to him whenever there was a part she liked. He would nod in agreement and include some random trivia having to do with the musical. She would smile and they would repeat this sequence as the sing-along went on.

Of course, during the first musical number they belted out their best rendition, gaining the admiring glances of the people around them. After "The Sound of Music" they even got a round of applause from the crowd, much to Gabriella's embarrassment.

Ryan had a hard time accepting that this was really happening to him. He was so proud to have Gabriella by his side and so happy that she was having such a good time.

He ignored the voice inside of him that scolded him for thinking this was a real date. Deep down he knew it would only make that aching hole in his heart bigger once the night was over, but he couldn't get himself to remove the grin that was starting to make his cheeks sore.

As the sing-along progressed, Ryan and Gabriella felt themselves relax, the pressure they had felt that morning evaporated as they got lost in the musical.

At one point, Ryan even convinced Gabriella to dance with him as all of the couples in the audience joined in during Maria and the Captain's dance in the moonlight.

A feeling that neither of them wanted to name began to wrap around them on the dewy grass and Ryan couldn't help catching his breath as Gabriella's face shone in the moonlight, looking even more radiant than he had ever seen her. She smiled brightly at him and made him feel like he was exactly where he should be, and not just some lovesick boy on a date with a girl that was completely out of his league.

As the movie ended, the two walked hand-in-hand quietly back to the car. At some point, Ryan had offered Gabriella his jacket and she couldn't help noticing how differently Ryan smelled than Troy. She tried not to dwell on it, but instead of a musky deodorant, Ryan smelled fresh and soft somehow. She couldn't really describe it, but something about it made her calmer.

Ryan opened the door for her and she slipped in. As he closed the door and walked round to the driver's side, Gabriella took a moment to absorb what had just happened. Was she crazy or was this the most fun she'd had in a long time? How did Ryan always know how to put a smile on her face?

Ryan got into the car and turned on the heater. He glanced over at her with a smile and said simply, "Thanks."

She nodded and echoed, "Thanks."

That seemed to be all that needed to be said, so Ryan turned on the radio and they hummed along to top 40 hits while he drove them back to her house. Suddenly, it began raining and Ryan had to turn on his windshield wipers.

"Wow, it rarely rains around here," Gabriella observed.

Ryan nodded. "I love it when it does rain, though," he confessed.

"I do too," Gabriella agreed. "It reminds me of when we lived in Seattle."

"When did you live there?" he asked.

"Between first and second grade," she replied. "It was one of the few places I felt like I fit in. I remember thinking that if I had to choose one place to stay forever, I'd want it to be there."

Ryan glanced over at Gabriella and could see the wistful look on her face. "It must have been hard moving around so much," he said.

She nodded. "It was, but I got used to it. It wasn't until I came here that I thought there might be an actual chance we could stop moving. I mean, there were some places that I was happy to leave, for sure, but it has been really nice having friends and people that I can share memories with . . ."

Ryan suddenly felt guilty, remembering Gabriella's first few months at East High. "I'm sorry that Sharpay and I didn't exactly make it easy on you."

Gabriella shook her head. "I get it. You and Sharpay were used to being the stars and suddenly, Troy and I were trying to take your places."

Ryan didn't know what to say to that. Gabriella was too forgiving.

"Thanks again," Gabriella continued. "For telling me about Sharpay. I guess I understand her a little bit more now. It's not fun being thought of as a freak just because you happen to be good at something."

"I think things might have turned out differently if she had a friend like you growing up," Ryan thought. "I think she might have been less insecure and less lonely."

Gabriella warmed at the tenderness in Ryan's voice as he spoke about his sister. "And I bet she could have taught me a lot about being confident as well."

When they arrived at Gabriella's house, Ryan pulled up into her driveway, and quickly turned off the ignition. He stepped out and opened the door for her. "Home sweet home, my lady," he gestured in his usual way, holding out a hand to her.

Gabriella giggled and grabbed his hand as he helped her out of the car. _There it is again_, Gabriella thought. _That tingle_.

They both rushed to the front porch, trying to avoid getting wet. When they reached the door, Gabriella turned to Ryan and removed his jacket, handing it to him. He grinned and took it from her. Looking back out into the rain, he smiled. "Doesn't this remind you of something?" he asked.

"What?" she replied.

"A rainy night, moonlight shining . . ." he hinted.

"I have no idea," she replied. "Tell me."

Instead of answering, he began singing, "You wait little girl on an empty stage, for fate to turn the light on."

Gabriella immediately beamed. "Go on," she encouraged him.

"Your life, little girl, is an empty page that men will want to write on," Ryan continued.

"To write on," Gabriella echoed.

Ryan blushed and shook his head. "I'm such a dork," he laughed.

"Yeah, but that's what I love about you," she said before she could stop herself. She immediately blushed as well, knowing that using the L-word wasn't exactly appropriate. "I mean, you aren't afraid to be yourself and be silly, especially if it'll make someone else smile," she said quickly.

"I like seeing the people I care about happy, especially if I helped make it happen," Ryan admitted.

"You'll make some girl very, very happy one day," she thought aloud.

He sighed, "That's what people tell me. I just hope "one day" is sooner rather than later."

"What about Brittany?" Gabriella said, not knowing why she brought the freshman up.

"Sharpay's Brittany?" Ryan asked, his face in confusion.

"Yeah, you two seem to get along really well," Gabriella said. "She seems to really like you."

"I'm just helping her out with her audition," he answered. "Why? Did she say something to you?"

Gabriella smiled, a tinge of sadness at the edge of her words. "No, but a girl can tell. She looks at you like you're her hero."

_I want to be your hero_, Ryan thought instinctively. "I think she just needed someone to believe in her," he shrugged.

"Then you are her hero," Gabriella pointed out. "I don't know anyone who inspires people the way you do. Especially when it comes to music."

"Thanks," Ryan replied.

"You should ask her out," Gabriella said softly.

Ryan smiled despite the hurt he felt at her words. "I guess I will," he said.

"Good night, Ryan," Gabriella said, turning to unlock the front door. "Thanks for an amazing night."

"You're welcome," Ryan nodded. "And thank you for bidding on me. I'm really lucky to have a friend like you."

"Ditto," she answered. With that, she went back inside her house and shut the door.

Ryan turned and walked back to his car, using his jacket to block the rain. When he got inside and started the ignition, he couldn't help but stare up at Gabriella's room when her light flickered on. He should have known better than to let himself indulge. Just as he expected, he felt even worse than before, because now he knew what it was like to be with her, to hold Gabriella's hand, to dance with her, to sing with her . . . he had reached the point of no return.


	17. Dream Come True

A/N: This chapter is a little longer to make up for the last one. This story is winding down. I hope you enjoy! Please R&R!

**The Highest Bidder – Chapter 17**

Gabriella awoke from a not-so-particularly restful night. She realized it was her cell phone buzzing that woke her. She glanced at it to find a text from Troy: "Need to talk. Meet me at school at 10."

Her clock read 9:00 AM. She felt a sense of foreboding as she got up to get ready. She realized that the guilt of what she had let herself feel the night before, and if she were really honest, the entire week before, was starting to get to her. She had held it against Troy for being jealous, but she started to see that maybe he wasn't being so paranoid. Maybe he had seen something she didn't want to admit.

She realized she owed it to Troy to be honest, and she decided it couldn't wait any longer. She would have to tell him everything.

* * *

Ryan woke up with a headache, angry at himself for setting himself up for failure. He should be happy about the amazing date he had with Gabriella, but instead he just felt disappointed that this would be all he would have with his dream girl.

"Knock, knock," a female voice said, opening the door to his bedroom.

Ryan looked up to see a smug Sharpay bouncing into his room. "It is too early for this, Sharpay," he groaned.

"Aww, did somebody have a bad date last night?" Sharpay pouted. "I guess I'll just have to make up for it tonight with Troy."

"Happy Birthday to you, too," Ryan muttered.

"Why thank you," Sharpay answered. "Now get up. I need you to pick up some accessories for my date tonight _with Troy_." She emphasized the last part, knowing it would only serve to irritate him further.

"Sharpay, I'm your brother, not your minion," Ryan growled, clearly not in the best mood.

Sharpay's face softened for a moment, realizing that Ryan really was upset. "Okay, no need to get all dramatic," she teased.

"Can we not talk about Troy or Gabriella today?" Ryan pleaded.

Sharpay pretended to think for a moment. "Is that your birthday wish?" she asked. Sharpay and Ryan had a tradition of granting each other one wish on each other's birthdays ever since they were little kids. One year had led Ryan to a humiliating turn as Sharpay's butler for a week. Not that it was much different than his usual role, but she made him wear coattails and everything.

Ryan nodded, not caring that he was wasting his wish on something so small.

"Alright," Sharpay said. "But no takebacks when my wish is way more awesome and way more work."

Ryan pulled the blanket over his head. "Okay, now go away," he mumbled under the sheets.

"Ta-ta!" Sharpay said, departing.

Ryan didn't even want to think what _her_ birthday wish was going to be.

* * *

An hour later, Gabriella arrived at East High. The campus was deserted for the most part, except for a few cars in the lot belonging to the basketball players. Gabriella remembered that Troy had a makeup practice that day.

Gabriella took a deep breath and entered the school, ready to have a heart-to-heart with Troy. "Hey Troy," Gabriella greeted as she saw the jock standing outside the team locker room with his gym bag.

"Hey," Troy answered.

"So you wanted to talk?" she said, approaching him warily.

"How was your date?" he couldn't help asking.

The annoyance in his tone did not escape Gabriella's attention. "It was fine," she said.

He eyed her carefully, but decided not to prod any further. He had made a decision that morning, and he realized he needed to make a change. It wasn't good for either of them to continue fighting. "Look, about the auditions. I don't think I can do it after all."

Gabriella's face fell. "Is it because of Ryan?"

"Yes," Troy replied. ". . . and no."

Gabriella stared at him, clearly confused.

"Gabriella, I don't like the guy I'm turning into lately. I don't pick fights. I'm not rude or mean. Especially not to someone I care about like you," Troy said, taking her hands in his. "I love you so much, but lately it's like I can't be myself around you. I turn into this jealous, possessive guy and I don't want to be that guy."

Gabriella's eyes felt moist. She knew what was coming next.

"I think we need to take a break," Troy sighed. "I think with basketball and senior year, we both have a lot to deal with."

"You want to break up?" Gabriella asked. Even though this was what she thought she wanted, it still hurt . . . _a lot_.

Troy clenched his fists. "I don't like the way it feels when you're mad at me. I don't like the way I treat you when we're together. I want what we had when we first met. No pressure. Just-"

"Just friends?" Gabriella supplied, her voice shaking.

Troy nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, Gabriella."

Gabriella looked at him tearfully. "Me too." Turning away, she ran toward the school entrance, wanting to find some place to be alone.

Troy looked after her departing image, wishing that things were different. He loved her so much . . . maybe too much.

"That was really brave of you," a female voice said from behind Troy.

Troy turned around to find Chad, Jason, Kelsi and Zeke looking at him. "You heard what happened?" he asked.

They all nodded. Kelsi stepped forward, putting a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "This doesn't mean it's over," she said softly.

Troy glanced at Kelsi. "I hate being like this. I hate being a guy she can't talk to anymore. I don't want to control her life, but being with her . . . I am always afraid to lose her."

"But you let her go, man. That was the right thing to do," Zeke said.

"It took guts to see that what you were doing was wrong," Jason praised him.

"Let's go run some drills," Chad suggested. "Get your mind of off the girl drama. Besides, you really need to practice to get ready for that date with Sharpay."

Troy groaned, but a smile started to form on his lips. "Okay, WHAT TEAM?"

"WILDCATS!" Chad, Zeke and Jason said in unison.

"WHAT TEAM?!"

"WILDCATS!"

"WHAT TEAM?!"

"WILDCATS! GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME!"

Kelsi smiled as the three players went into the gym. Things were starting to get back to normal. She glanced down the hallway. Well, almost normal.

* * *

Gabriella ran to the music room, not knowing where she was going, just knowing that she had to be alone. She had not expected this at all. She had come thinking she was going to be the one asking that they take a break, but Troy did it for her. What did this mean for them? What did it mean for her and Ryan? Was there a "her and Ryan"?

"Gabriella?" a soft voice whispered as the door to the music room creaked open.

Gabriella glanced up to find Kelsi standing in the doorway. "Hey," she greeted.

"Are you okay?" Kelsi asked. "I, um, heard what Troy said."

"I-I'll be fine," Gabriella replied. "I just need some time to think."

"About you and Ryan?" Kelsi wondered.

Gabriella looked up in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Kelsi sighed. "It's so obvious he's got a huge crush on you. I figured since you and Troy aren't together anymore, maybe you'd give him a chance. He's a really great guy."

"I know," Gabriella nodded. "He's so sweet and loyal and caring and funny and, just, so . . . unexpected."

Kelsi nodded in agreement. "He is one of a kind."

Gabriella bit her lower lip. "I-I don't want to hurt him," she said. "What if I do to him what I did to Troy? I don't want to poison him like that. He's so amazing and positive. I am afraid that if we get together, it'll be the same thing all over again."

"I don't think Ryan has it in him to react the way Troy did," Kelsi said. "Not that Troy's a bad guy, he just handles himself differently."

"I wish the timing wasn't so awful," Gabriella confessed. "It's all happening so fast."

"I think it's been there for awhile," Kelsi observed. "It just took you this long to realize it."

"I'm afraid that I could be wrong and that Ryan and I are better off as friends," Gabriella said. She gave an awkward chuckle. "I mean, I don't even know if he likes me that way."

"He loves you so much, Gabriella. He would break his own heart for you," Kelsi said softly. "Deep down you have to know that."

Gabriella looked at Kelsi skeptically. She wished that she could be as sure as Kelsi was.

* * *

Gabriella had been sitting at the piano in the music room for an hour, just wondering what she was going to do next. On the one hand, she felt like she was finally able to breathe again. Not being Troy Bolton's girlfriend anymore gave her back the freedom that she had been missing. On the other hand, did she want to be Ryan Evans's girlfriend now? Did Ryan want that?

"Gabriella?" a voice asked, causing her to look up.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "I mean, not that I'm not glad to see you, Ryan."

He looked to the ground. "I was going to meet Kelsi for a short rehearsal." He forced himself to look up. "Are you-are you okay?" He immediately noticed she was slumped on the piano bench, looking exhausted.

She gave him a watery smile. "Troy and I just broke up," she confessed.

He froze, thinking that was the last thing he thought she'd say. "Wh-what happened?"

"He said he didn't like how he was acting lately," Gabriella explained. "Especially when it comes to you. He's been really possessive and paranoid and I was upset with him because he kept saying that you were trying to break us up."

Ryan didn't respond, not sure if Troy was right or wrong about that.

"I told him so many times that he had nothing to worry about, but I think that just made him angrier," Gabriella continued.

Taking a deep breath, Ryan knew that what he said next couldn't be taken back but it had to be said. It wasn't fair to Troy to come out looking like the bad guy. "What if I said he wasn't that far off the mark?" Ryan asked, his hands gripping the edge of a nearby desk, bracing himself for what he was about to say.

Gabriella's head snapped towards Ryan at that statement.

"Look, you're an amazing girl," Ryan confessed. "I think Troy is an idiot for treating you the way he does and I know for certain that I would treat you better than any jock, but he's not wrong. I do feel something more . . . but you love him. I know that. He should too."

Gabriella swallowed, not believing her ears. "Wh-what are you saying?"

"I know you only want to be friends," Ryan said quickly. "I know I'm quite possibly ruining our friendship by telling you this, but you deserve to know the truth." He glanced down shyly. "I keep trying to stop, but you make it so hard."

Gabriella's eyes grew wide, shocked by his confession. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"It's not your fault," Ryan interjected. "Having someone supporting you and believing in you when you've never had that before . . . that messes with a guy's head."

Gabriella felt like she was about to burst from all the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. His expression, eyes filled with adoration and a gentle smile across his lips, just made her want to melt into the ground.

Mistaking her expression for embarrassment, he quickly added, "I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but I hope that this will help you forgive Troy and give him another chance."

Looking up at Ryan, a strange feeling came over Gabriella. The unsettling feeling in her stomach had turned into bursting firecrackers as she gazed at Ryan's kind eyes.

Something had changed, she realized. Ryan was no longer the generous friend with a compassionate ear. Suddenly, he was a boy she liked and nothing would ever be the same between them again.

"So, I guess what I'm saying is, Troy has a right to be jealous," Ryan sighed.

Gabriella stood up and walked towards Ryan. "Not yet," she whispered.

As she neared him, a part of him thought she might be coming closer to kiss him, but that couldn't be. "Wh-what do you mean?" he stammered.

She stopped in front of him, her eyes gazing up at his. "We haven't done anything for him to be jealous about," she murmured, searching his face for a sign, anything to let her know that she wasn't out of line for wanting something more.

"Wait, Gabriella," he said, holding her hands in his to stop her from coming closer. "I think you're hurt because Troy broke up with you." He felt the walls coming up, knowing he had to fight back before she did something they would both regret. If this wasn't real, he didn't want to be second best.

"I am hurt, but mostly because he saw it before I did," Gabriella confessed. "For a genius, I've been really stupid lately."

Ryan was in shock. What was she saying?

"I found this great guy that I wanted to spend time with and who listened to me, no questions asked," Gabriella explained. "I felt so much like myself again. No pressure to be anything other than who I am. I didn't understand why that bothered Troy. I made him feel bad for trying to jeopardize something I had come to enjoy so much. I-I didn't realize that he should have been the one I trusted, and his opinion should have been the one I valued, at least, if he was supposed to be the one I should be with."

Ryan's eyes grew wider. "Are you saying . . ." He couldn't get himself to finish the thought.

"I'm saying that Troy was right. Somewhere along the line I fell for someone else," Gabriella said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Then, while Ryan was transfixed by the look in her eyes, she drew her body up closer, stood up on her toes and leaned into Ryan with a soft kiss. The sensation that sparked between them lingered and time seemed to stand still.

At first, Ryan didn't move. He couldn't believe this was happening. He had come this afternoon ready to pour out his regret and disappointment into his music, and instead, he seemed to be getting exactly what he had been dreaming about all summer. When he realized this, he began to kiss her back. He tried his best to make the kiss last as long as possible, mainly because he didn't know if he was dreaming and whether he'd ever have a second one.

Gabriella finally stepped back, a look of surprise on her face. "Wow."

Ryan swallowed. "Umm, yeah, that was, uhh . . ."

"Wow," Gabriella said again.

Ryan's hands had somehow made their way into her hair while they were kissing, and his fingers curled a strand behind her ear. "Is-is this real?"

Gabriella looked up at him. "It feels real."

Ryan pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I never thought . . ."

"Me either," Gabriella admitted, as she leaned closer to him, wrapping her arms around him.

Ryan felt his heart beating furiously, as Gabriella rested her head against his chest. He held her as close as he could, feeling her fit perfectly within his arms. "So, what now?" he asked.

Gabriella smiled, a sense of belonging and calm falling over her. "I don't know," she said.

"Me either," he said, echoing her words. "That's okay, right?"

Gabriella nodded. "More than okay."

"Thanks for making this the best birthday I've ever had," Ryan grinned.

Gabriella laughed. "My pleasure."


End file.
